Batman: Arkham City
by HiddenXEmotion
Summary: When Bruce Wayne is kidnapped, Taylor hurries into Arkham City to save him but finds out maybe more than she can handle about her billionaire boyfriend and his dark half. She also, strangely, learns a little something about the Joker as well; from before he was this psychotic lunatic he is now. When all of this finally comes to an end will the detective be able to handle everything
1. Chapter 1

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

**Chapter One**

**Trouble…Again**

**It was freezing, but she was covered in sweat. **Taylor Carmicheal was lying in her bed, staring up at the ceiling as her lungs stretched out her skin. It was that same dream. It had been running through her head since the events at Arkham Asylum. She just didn't know why.

For the last six months, things had gotten worse. Warden Quincy Sharp had taken full credit for Joker's defeat at the Asylum and was elected as Mayor of Gotham City. For some strange, dumb reason, Sharp had walled off and isolated Gotham North, a large district, and converted it into the new form of Arkham Asylum. He left some psycho named Professor Strange in charge with security handled by militarized TYGER troops. Dylan had been transferred to the TYGER due to his military status but it was clear that her younger brother hated what was happening.

Taylor wasn't too glad about it, and neither was Bruce Wayne. It was something that she and her boyfriend constantly talked about over lunch or dinner.

That's right. Taylor and Bruce were a package. She had Bruce now…so why was Batman AND the Joker in her dreams? One would expect that the Joker would be a nightmare but he wasn't. He was…something that she didn't want to think about.

Pushing herself up out of the bed, she decided to slip into the shower and erase those thoughts of the man's hands off of her skin. Batman she could understand, but the Joker? And why wasn't Bruce in there, too? This was bad. Very, very bad. But she wouldn't say a thing about it.

She had been dating Bruce since the Asylum events and she held deep feelings for the man. She could honestly say that she was beginning to fall for him. He was the first man since Chad, her crazed ex that had killed her father, that she had dated. He was everything that she wanted in a man but Batman was still there. That was easy to explain. Every woman wanted that dark, bad boy that could protect them from everything so that was normal, but Joker? Where did that crazed lunatic come into her sexual dreams? Maybe it was more of a pity thing. She wasn't sure but she knew that she wanted it to stop. And that's why she was going to take the next step with Bruce.

Tonight they had a date for dinner. She was taking a nap, waiting for him to call her. Bruce was giving an open protest against the creation of the city before heading over to pick her up for dinner tonight.

Wiping the fog off of the mirror, Taylor looked at herself. At the age of 28, her long golden-brown hair clung to her pale tan skin, her gray eyes glaring harshly back at her due to the dreams that she was continuing to have.

Turning her television on to the news as she began to get ready, she only had to wait a little less than half an hour to get to what she was looking for.

The blonde reporter, Vickie Vale, stood on her screen. "_This is Vickie Vale, reporting live from Arkham City, the controversial super city built right here in the heart of Gotham. In a few moments, Bruce Wayne will be live on stage to explain his sudden interest in Gotham politics. The infamous playboy millionaire has never been one-"_

"_It's billionaire, Vickie," _A man commented as he passed the blonde by._ "Millionaires are so last year."_

Taylor gave a laugh as she sat on the edge of her bed, shaking her head. That was Bruce Wayne, AKA, her boyfriend. Tall, over six feet, Bruce was a handsome man a year or two older than herself with short, smoothed back black hair and blue eyes as he, like always, wore a black suit and tie. The only other thing that she had seen Mr. Wayne wearing was swim trunks just a few days ago when he invited her for a swim in his pool. Bruce's manor was amazing.

Cameras had gone off as everyone gathered around the podium as Bruce began to talk.

"_Thank you, Gotham, thank you. In prison behind these walls gang leaders are fighting a bloody war in the middle of our once great city. Every inmate from Arkham Asylum and Blackgate prison has been relocated to this facility. How can this be safe for the people of Gotham?" _He had a point. _"Today, I'm starting a campaign to close Arkham City and make Gotham safe again."_

The attention turned from Bruce to TYGER Squads moving in with gas bombs. In horror, Taylor watched as Bruce was kidnapped.

"No!" She jumped off of her bed, landing in front of the television. She was searching to find where they took Bruce but it wasn't hard to figure out. These were TYGER; the military Squad that worked in Arkham City. Dylan's Squad. They had taken Bruce to Arkham City, but why? What was going on?

Taylor jumped up from her floor and hurried to her closet, wiping the makeup from her face. It didn't matter what was going on; they had taken Bruce into hell and she wasn't just going to let him go through it. She had gone through the Asylum and it was hard enough for her, even with the training she had. Bruce was a business man; he wouldn't survive.

(Right ladies? ROFL)

_**~There's so much pressure**_

_**Seven blocks away **_

_**I don't think I'm gonna make it**_

_**Just feel the texture~**_

**He hung his head, refusing to look at anyone as he passed through the streets. **He was disgusted, but not just with his Squad. With himself. All of this…it was nothing like what he had sworn to do. It's the exact opposite. He hated all of it.

"And what is Mr. Carmichael up to today?"

Dylan Carmichael paused in his steps at the voice but he didn't glance over his shoulder. The ex-marine was tall, over 6'0' with short golden brown hair and gray eyes. Dressed in the black uniform of the TYGER Squad, the only difference was he refused to wear that helmet. A silver Knight chess piece hung from his left ear.

"What do you want, Ivy?"

"You don't seem to be yourself any longer," the green woman with red hair danced around to face him. "I liked you much more in the Asylum."

"Yeah, so did I," He sighed. He lifted his head and glanced off around Arkham City. "Now I just feel like a dirt bag."

"Well, of all of the others here you're the least," She told him.

He gave a small smile. "What do you want Ivy?"

Ivy gave a smile, pleased that she had lightened his mood up a little bit. "Nothing much, I just missed you."

"Missed me?" Dylan scoffed at her. "What do you want, Ivy?"

The green woman turned with a grin on her face. "Never can be fooled, can you?" She gave a fake sigh. "I have a favor to ask of you, Carmichael."

"No, I'm not sneaking you in a Venus Flytrap."

Ivy turned around to frown at him, her foot stomping like a little girl. "How come?"

"I'm not stupid. You'd grow it and then make it eat me!"

Ivy's lips curled back into a smile. "Not you, Dylan. Never you."

The man found his voice caught. He didn't know what to say in response to that and praised the heavens when his phone went off.

_Let's walk through the fire together_

_Disappear in the golden sands_

_It's all in your face_

_I see you break_

_It's like the sound of winter._

"I thought you had a date with Wayne tonight?"

"_Change of plans," _Taylor's voice sounded breathless, like she had been running.

"What do you mean? If he baled on you, I'll-"

"_He didn't do it on purpose, Dylan. A TYGER Squad kidnapped him and took Bruce into Arkham City."_

"What?" Dylan cried out. Ivy tilted her head, watching him.

"_And I'm following him."_

"WHAT!?" That was worse than before. "No! Hell no, I won't let you put yourself in danger a second time! You only got into the Asylum last time because I wasn't there to stop you. This time I am. The City's much worse than the Asylum was, Taylor. I refused to let you come here!"

"_That's my point, Dylan! Bruce is now in here, by himself. I have to do something."_

"I can find your boyfriend, Taylor, just stay out there! Coming here just means that-"

"_It's a little too late for that, Dylan."_

Dylan frowned as it hit him; the explanation as to why she had been breathing so hard. "You're already inside of Arkham City, aren't you?"

"_Yes," _She had caught her breath. _"It was easy to get inside, believe it or not, but maybe that's because of the utensils that B-Man had let in my possession after the Asylum."_

Dylan hung his head. "Dammit, Taylor! Where are you?!"

"_I'm not sure,"_ As his sister spoke, he got the report of Catwoman being held hostage by Harvey Dent. _"All I know is that Penguin has men all over the place."_

"Taylor, You have to tell me where you-" The phone call cut off. "Taylor? Taylor!" He closed his phone. "Dammit!"

"Is something wrong?" Ivy asked, hand on her hip.

"Yeah, like always." He shook his head. "Forgive me, Pamela. We'll have to talk more later."

The woman gave a smile before turning to walk away. "You know where to find me."

Dylan gave a frown as he hurried down the streets. "Yeah, if only I could say that about my sister."

Penguin. His goons were running around the Iceberg Lounge sector. That would be the first place he would check.

**And so it begins**

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	2. Chapter 2

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

**Chapter Two**

**Freeze**

**~This was a bad idea! **But I'm already here. I can't leave Bruce here. I have to find him!~

Taylor was resting her body against the side of the building again. Luckily this was the old Police building so she knew it pretty well. Her heart was pounding for several reasons. Penguin had his goons had been chasing her all over the place and she had barely slipped past them to…wherever it was she was at now. The moment that Cobblepot had seen the woman that was responsible for catching him the last time he had broken out of prison had ordered her caught. It didn't help that Penguin knew she was dating Bruce Wayne. It was very well known around Gotham about the Detective and the Billionaire and it was also well known that Cobblepot despised Wayne.

Sticking close to Penguin to find Bruce might have been a good idea but at the same time dangerous. Cobblepot might not have been strong, but the freak was smart.

It would be a good idea to hide for now and come up with a plan. Taylor had run in here like an idiot to try and find Bruce without a plan. Not a good idea but she was here now and she had to make due with it. She knew that her brother would be on his way to find her soon so all she had to do was wait now, right?

~Hell no!~ Taylor growled to herself. ~You are Detective Carmichael! Partner to Commissioner James Gordon and one of the top detectives of Gotham City. I'm not a pussy. I'm not going to hide~

"Where'd the bitch go?" A voice growled from the alley.

Taylor's breath caught. ~But I do need a plan. Getting caught in a fight right now isn't such a good idea at the moment.~ turning her head slowly, Taylor found the Overhang door open a bit on the bottom. It was big enough for her to squeeze through. ~Better than nothing~ she told herself silently, slipping under it. She froze, holding her breath again as the feet passed by moments later. Penguins goons were still looking for her. She needed a plan and fast.

Standing up carefully and silently, the detective glanced around the room before finding another door half open, as if calling to her. She wasn't going to wait here to find out whether or not Penguin's goons find her and through the door she went.

Crossing her arms across her chest, Taylor resisted from letting her teeth chatter. It was winter across Gotham now but the further she went into this building, the colder she got. Where was the heater when you needed…

She froze at the next door. It was half open, blue crystals stretching across the floor and the doorway. Ice.

"No…fucking…way." Her eyes grew a little wide. "Of all the-"

"Allow me to break the ice." The cold voice came from behind her. She froze as she felt something press against her back. "My name is Freeze. Learn it well. For it's the chilling sound of your doom."

(XDXD, I couldn't help it! I had to put the movie line in there!)

"Now," Taylor gave a scared grin as she turned to face the man behind her. "We don't…don't have to go that far, do we?"

The man behind her was over six feet tall and dressed in a silver, metal suit with blue streaks here and there. A pair of goggles were on his face as a bowl was over his head. (it looked like a space suit, really) He was bald and his skin was a blue shade.

Taylor couldn't believe it. It was Dr. Victor Fries. This man was a respected and brilliant scientist. Nora, his wife, had been cryogenically frozen so Victor could create a cure for her rare illness. Somehow Victor had been drenched in the cryogenic chemicals he had created to freeze Nora and it changed his metabolism and Mr. Freeze was born.

Her favorite of Batman's 'villains' was here before her. Taylor had first laid her eyes on Victor Fries a few years ago. She had been called to a bank when he and his goons had robbed it. After that, you can say that Taylor had developed a little crush on the blue man, though she would never admit that aloud. Victor tried everything that he could think of to try and find a way to heal his wife of her fatal degenerative disease. To have a man that cared that much for you, Taylor would love that. She didn't see Mr. Freeze as a bad man. Just misunderstood and going about his task the wrong way.

Victor Fries frowned, recognizing the woman before him. "Detective Carmichael." They had never actually met but Freeze knew who she was. He had seen her several times during his…exploits…and after everything that Joker had done at the Asylum it was hard not to hear her name. "To what do I owe this…unexpected visit?"

He still pointed his freeze ray at her but maybe she could talk him out of shooting her. "I'm not here for any trouble," Her teeth were beginning to rattle. "I'm looking for a place to hide for the moment while I think up a plan." She scowled. "Cobblepot's got his goons on me."

"So you led them here?" The man frowned.

"No, they don't know I'm here. I gave them the slip," Taylor assured him. ~I think…hope~ She fought a shiver. "What are you doing here?" ~Besides being stuck in here since the Asylum is no longer used to hold all of you guys~ he just stared at her like she was an idiot for a second. "Look, Dr. Fries," ~Don't piss him off. Keep him calm~ "I apologize for all of this but I'm not here to do anything to you or against you. A friend of mine was kidnapped by the TYGER and brought in here. I followed to try and save him."

"To save HIM, hmm?" Victor stared at her for a moment as a red flush passed over her cheeks. She turned her head. Things were silent for another moment before the man moved past her, pushing the door open. Taylor waited for the door to be shut but she turned to see that it had been left open. A small smile spread across her face. Whether or not Mr. Freeze had left it open as an invitation, she sure as hell was going to take it as one.

Stepping in after the man carefully, Taylor took in the sight of what had once been her office. Everything had been covered in ice. Still strange to look at though she had been expecting it. Glancing around at everything a few times she turned her attention back to the other inhabitant of the room. Freeze had dropped his helmet down and set his gun aside as he settled over one of the desks towards the back by the wall. She saw some vials and books and other things on the desk as he moved through them and her curiosity got the best of her. The liquid that he was working with was a very pale blue and he wore a frown on her face. Instantly, her mind went to Nora.

"Is this for your wife?" she asked.

Freeze's hands froze as he lifted his head for a moment. She waited for a few moments before he finally answered her. "No, it's not, no matter how much I want it to be." She frowned. "This is for Joker."

"Joker?" She sounded surprised. "I never expected you to be doing something for Joker, Victor."

"Believe me, it's not willingly." Freeze hissed. "Joker took Nora," He told her as he continued looking through the vials n his desk. "He is blackmailing me to create his cure."

"What do you mean he took her?" Taylor demanded. "He stole her from you to force you to make this thing for him?"

"Yes." Freeze watched as the Detective gave a slew of curses. He was interested in why that upset the detective.

"Do you know where he took her?" Taylor asked him.

"If I did, I would be looking for her instead of creating this." He answered her.

"Yeah, I guess you would be, huh?" The woman took a step back again, trying to ignore the cold. "What does he need a cure for? I swear if it's for a common cold, I'm gonna-" She knew that Joker pulled some really weird things.

"No." Freeze shook his head. "The Joker is quite serious of this. Since the events of Arkham Asylum, the Clown Prince of Crime has noticed that his body was not healing well after his fight with Batman and you and your brother. He learned that the chemicals from Titan did not fully leave his body after he returned to 'normal'. Instead is assimilated into his blood particles and became impossible to remove, making it poison his blood stream. He has told me that the disease was incurable by the doctors and that is why he searched for me."

Mr. Freeze was still staring over the desk so he didn't get to see the horrified look upon the detective's face. Joker was now under a disease due to what had happened at the Asylum. He was dying. Dying because he injected himself with too much of the Titan formula. Dying because she hadn't been able to stop him. She had been there. She was only feet away. She had stopped him the first time but hadn't been fast enough the second time. If only she had been closer…been faster.

Taylor knew that Joker was bad. Evil. Insane. Whatever you wanted to call him, but still she felt horrible. She felt horrible when anyone died from something other than natural causes. She knew that Joker had killed so many people at the Asylum from guards to other inmates, but still…

Freeze glanced to the right as the detective moved up beside him, her face set as she picked up his notes and looked through them. "What are you doing?"

"I can help," She answered him, looking through the papers. "I was good in school with chemistry so there has to be something that I can do. With two people you could get it done faster and find your wife-" ~AND save Joker~ "Quicker than just by yourself."

Freeze stared at her for a moment. For just a moment he saw his wife standing there beside him as she tried to help with his work all those years ago. Nora had tried to help whenever she could. He felt like he was going to cry for a moment but he turned away, squeezing his hands into fists to control himself..

~Nora…~

"So, just where are you at?"

Mr. Freeze turned back to her and carefully took the papers from her hands and began to talk to her through all that he had done so far. He was impressed. She understood and knew everything that he was talking about. She only had to ask questions about a few things here and there but overall stepped up to what he needed.

She laughed when he gave her a compliment. "I may not be socially smart but I am book smart."

"That's always the best." He told her.

He felt like he had his wife beside him again for a little while. It brought a smile to his face and the detective actually had him laughing after a few moments as they carried on together…until Taylor came across a glitch in his notes.

"It seems you're missing something, Victor." She began, setting aside a set of the vials and picking the papers up again.

"Missing something?" Freeze looked over at the paper she held. He frowned. "Indeed." His mind went crazy as silence passed through the room for a moment. Taylor began to flip through his notes again, trying to find an answer to what they were now searching for. She came to no answer and hung her head. ~And it had been going so good…~

"That's it!" Freeze's loud cry made her jump.

"What is it?" She asked him.

Freeze looked back at her with a smile. "What we're missing. We need-" He paused as a sound came from the floor above them. Both of them glanced at the ceiling. A foul look spread over the man's face. He looked back at the woman. "Run."

"What?" She was confused.

"Hide!" He growled, shoving her away from the table as he grabbed his gun again. "Hide and don't come out until I get you!"

Taylor wasn't going to ask what was going on and did as he said, running for what had once been Gordon's office. She dove under the desk and found herself praying to god that it wasn't Croc or Bane that was paying them a visit. She didn't want to deal with Bane again. He had nearly killed her last time.

She jumped as gunshot went off and the sound of Freeze's ray gave them an answer. The blue light from the ray gave off shadows of multiple men on the walls behind the mirror as the fighting went off outside the office. Cries and growls vibrated around the office and Taylor reached for her gun as she crawled out from beneath the desk. On her hands and knees she slowly made her way to the office door. She reached to open it but the voice caught her.

"Where's the woman, Freeze?" She recognized that voice from the man outside before she had found Freeze. Penguin's men had found her.

"My wife is not here," Freeze answered him.

"Not your wife, you idiot! I know the detective came in here. She had to have."

"Detective?" Freeze snorted. "What detective would be foolish enough to travel around Arkham City?"

"Don't play coy with us, ice cube." The man growled. "Penguin wants her to pay her back for throwing him in jail last time and so we're gonna find her, got it? Tell us where she's at or we'll make you!"

Taylor held her breath and readied herself for her hiding place to be given away. The moment those men came through the door she was going to let loose with her gun.

"I'm telling you, I don't know who you're talking about! Just leave me be!"

The detective was surprised. Freeze was keeping her a secret. But why? Why didn't he just give her up?

There was a growl and the sound of a hit. The man must have knocked Freeze out because there wasn't another word from him.

"The bitch must not really be here." Penguin's goon sighed. "But at least we got one of the missions done. We'll find Carmichael soon enough but let's take ice-boy to Penguin first before we worry any more about here."

When the footsteps left and the door shut, Taylor let out a curse. Freeze had been captured, protecting her from Penguin's goons. But why? It didn't make any sense.

Maybe he knew that he was going to be captured and lied to get her to finish making the cure so that Nora would be found quicker. It was a good idea, but Taylor still had no idea what the missing ingredient had been. Freeze had just figured it out as well but she had no idea so she wasn't going to be able to make it and there was no way in hell that she was just going to them take Freeze off like that. Maybe she could surprise them and free the ice-man before they got too far ahead.

With that idea, Taylor hurried after them. She checked every corner, just in case someone was straggling behind but she found nothing until she reached outside the building. She caught sight of Freeze being carried by three guys. Lifting her gun, she took aim. She was about to let out her first shot when a foot landed on her from behind, knocking her forward and the gun from her hand. Rolling back over, getting ready to fight she found herself shocked at who had attacked her. She had been expecting someone from Penguin. Instead, the last thing that Taylor saw was a boot to her face, Harley Quinn being her attacker.

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	3. Chapter 3

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

**Merry Christmas, Guys!**

**Chapter Three**

**Reunion**

"**I am going to beat the hell out of that woman; again!"**

"Oh, do invite me to watch it this time, my dear! I believe it would be most entertaining!"

At that voice, Taylor opened her eyes. The light was extremely low so she had to adjust her sight. She didn't have to see to know who it was in the room with her. She could recognize that voice anywhere. "Joker?"

"Ha! You remembered me! I'm impressed. Many try to forget me."

"It's kinda hard to forget you." Taylor replied. she was sitting in a chair. She straightened up and glanced around the room. There really wasn't anything there for her to take into account. "What do you want from me, Joker?"

"Want from you?" the coughing came from behind her and she turned, barely able to see the outline of the man leaning on the wall. "Ha! I was more surprised than anything. I sent Harley out to check on the Good Doctor! Imagine my surprise when she returned with you!"

"Yeah, well, she got lucky, sneaking up on me from behind like that! It won't happen again!"

"Feisty as last time!" He coughed again. Taylor watched as the Joker walked past her chair and into the light pouring in from the windows.

Still over six feet in height, the Joker was dressed in his purple suit with his white face and green hair and blood-red lips. But now his skin was riddled with boils and wounds, as it if was deteriorating away.

Taylor's hands covered her mouth in horror. "What…what happened to you! Oh, god, Joker…" Her heart lurched. "You poor thing."

"Poor thing?" Joker gave off another laugh before being riddled with coughs. She wanted to move to him, hold him as he trembled but she couldn't move herself. He straightened up, breathing hard. "I…I have been plagued with dreams over the last six months," He told her. "Of you. Of her. It seems that running into you brought back many memories of her." He glanced at her. "Are you plagued with dreams of me as much as I am with you?"

Taylor wasn't going to answer that question. "Who are you talking about?"

Joker turned from her and leaned his forehead against the cool glass. "Anna."

"Anna?"

Joker was silent for a moment before falling into his tale; into his memory.

**Anna was a girl that Joker had known as a child.** She had been his only friend. Joker had been a silent boy that others liked to tease. He ignored it all as much as he could. And then, one day, he was about to break but Anna stopped it. She had just moved into Gotham and had refused to watch the bullying. She was Joker's best friend after that, always by his side. Anna brightened Joker's life to where he gladly fell in-love with her.

But so did the other boys.

"_You're a Queen, Anna," the teen smiled at the other. "You should sign up to run as Prom Queen beside me. We would be perfect together."_

"_No thanks." Anna shook her head as she turned to walk away._

_Her friend followed. "Not very many would reject Henry's invitation."_

"_Ha! I don't need a moron like Henry to tell me that I'm a Queen. I already know that." She laughed. "Besides, not all Queens need a king. This Queen here…all she needs is someone to make her laugh. A Joker." She turned and smiled at the boy beside her. "Right, J?"_

He stayed by her side always after that. She was his and much as he was hers. They were perfect for eachother and everyone knew it. He never left her after that, not once until one Christmas, years later. He had left Gotham for one holiday to find the perfect ring to ask Anna to marry him just to return to find her dead. She had been attacked and raped on Christmas Eve, walking home from her mother's house. He was supposed to have gone with her that night but had pulled out to go and get the ring. The first and only night he had not been by her side took her from him; forever.

**Taylor felt like she was going to cry. **That explained everything. How Joker had gone insane. He might have already been a little messed up in the head but Anna's death had been the last nail in the coffin. Why did things like that have to happen? It…

"For some reason, that night at the Asylum, I saw Anna talking to me, not you. Pretty weird, right?" Joker laughed at himself before coughing some more.

"No, there's nothing weird about that." She told him, standing from the chair. "I see my dad sometimes, too, talking to me. It's not weird at all."

Joker was silent for a moment before his laughter broke out again; more coughs, too. "Listen to me, worrying about old times! I need to leave all that behind me, don't you think?" He wore a smile but the woman knew he was hurting inside; for more than one reason. Taylor moved forward but froze when the door to the left opened. Harley was standing there.

"He's here, Mr. J."

"Good, good, let's go get this over with, shall we?"

And with that, Taylor was left in that room by herself. She just stood there for a moment, not sure what to do. She had been taken from Mr. Freeze to Joker. She was here to search for Bruce but things kept getting in her way. What was Bruce doing now at the very moment? He had to be hiding. Or…or what if he had been trapped? Or captured? That would be horrible!

Moving into the room after Joker, she gave a little gasp. "Batman!" The Dark Knight was sitting in front of the window, tied to a wheelchair, a bag of something hanging by him. She was too far away to get a good look at it. "What are you going to do with him?"

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that. Stick around and you'll find out." His words made her smirk until he had another of his coughing hits. It pained her. ~I need to find Mr. Freeze to fix him! I can't let him suffer like this!~ She glanced back at Batman. "I would suggest keeping your pet away from Bats, Joker." Taylor commented as the blonde began to pull at the man's mask. She wanted to see who the man was, no doubt about that, but at the same time the mystery made the man all the more, well, mysterious.

Joker took her word for it. "Get back here, Harley!" He coughed a few more times.

"But I want to know who he is, sweetie." Harley frowned.

"You gotta do what daddy says, right blondie?" Taylor smirked, crossing her arms.

"Shut up!" She hissed at the other woman. She was apparently still very displeased with her.

"No one's who you think they are, my dear." Joker grinned. "Why spoil the fun?"

"It was all a lie." Batman's voice joined them as he gathered his senses again. "There's nothing wrong with you."

"Unfortunantly," Taylor sat down on the floor, leaning her back against the wall close to the Dark Knight. "You're not right this time."

"Carmichael?" The man tied to the chair sounded shocked as he looked at her,

"'Sup?" She gave him a grin but it faltered.

"Nice of you to say, but," Joker began to walk forward into the light to where Batman could get a good look at his face. "You of all people should know…There's plenty wrong with me." He gave one of his grins as he made a pose, bringing a bottle out from behind his back. "Take my blood for example. I wish somebody would…This stuff is killing me!"

"Why should I care?" Batman asked, his eyes flickering between the crazed man in front of his and the woman near his feet.

Taylor kept silent, knowing that her opinion wasn't going to make things better. Joker laughed. "Because now there's a teeny little bit of me in you too, Bats." At least, she wasn't going to voice her opinion. That bag that had been injecting something into the man in tights was Joker's blood. His infected blood. "Oh, c'mon. Don't tell me it's not what you always wanted."

"Joker, are you serious?!" Taylor growled. She grabbed the needle and pulled it out of the man's arm. It might have already been in Batman's system but at least no more could be injected.

"Oh, it's just a bit of fun, Taylor!" The Joker grinned at her. His face then turned serious as the crazed man looked back to the man in the chair. "Look, we're running out of time. I need your help. I nearly had a cure; it was so close and then it was taken from me."

"So we both die." Batman growled. "I'm fine with that." Taylor winced.

"Are you?" Joker turned back to look at him. "Imagine, sucking down that last breath, knowing that Gotham is doing the same."

"What are you talking about?"

"Can't you ever just make it simple?" Taylor sighed.

"Oh, didn't I say?" Joker sat down on Batman's lap. "I've spent weeks shipping samples of my blood to emergency rooms all over the city." He stood up again and backed away.

"So, that's Protocol Ten. Poison Gotham. I expected more." Batman replied.

Taylor tilted her head. "Protocol Ten?"

"Protocol Ten?" Joker mimicked her and gasped, pulling a face. His face then fell. "Never heard of it." He moved back to Bats. "Hold tight!" He lifted a foot and kicked on the wheelchair as hard as he could, sending the man in tights flying out the window. "I'll be in touch!"

"Holy crap!" Taylor jumped up to her feet. "What the hell, Joker? You're gonna kill him of you keep doing stupid shit like that!"

"Oh, the drop wasn't that far!" Joker pulled out a phone and turned but then glanced back at the Detective. "I can trust you to get me my cure, can I not?" She didn't want to admit it but at the same time she couldn't deny it, either. She gave him a nod. "Then go and make sure Bats doesn't do anything stupid." He turned and walked away talking into that phone.

Taylor looked surprised. He was just going to let her go? Just like that? Even Harley looked surprised herself and Taylor wasn't going to wait around for either her to do something or for Joker to change his mind.

Leaning her head out the window she found that Batman hadn't fallen that far. He stood there, free from the chair now, crushing something in his hand before beginning to talk to someone in his suit like he had in Arkham Asylum. She wondered if it was Oracle again. Most likely.

She was about to grab the hook from that belt Batman had given her last time but another idea popped into her head. "Hey!" She called down. The man in tights caught her voice and glanced up in time to see her jumping out the window. He caught her, just like she had thought he would. She gave a sigh of relief when he set her back on her feet. "Nice to see you again, Bats."

"What are you doing here, Carmichael?" The Dark Knight demanded with a firm look.

~Shouldn't have expected anything less,~ She sighed. "Oh, you know, just chilling. Hanging out with psychos." She gave a fake laugh as he continued to stare at her.

"Are you here for your brother again?" He asked her.

"No, not this time." She turned from him and glanced over the water beneath them. "This time I'm here for someone else."

"Someone else?" He continued.

"All right, All right, fine!" She crossed her arms. "I came here to save Bruce Wayne. He was kidnapped while giving a speech earlier tonight outside the gates."

"Bruce Wayne?" The shock was clear in the man's voice. For some reason, this was a hell of a lot harder than Taylor thought that it was going to be. Why did telling Batman about another man seem to be so…hard? "Why would you-"

"Because he's important to me," She told him, closing her eyes. "We were supposed to have dinner tonight and as I was getting ready I watched as the TYGER operatives kidnapped him and brought him here. I couldn't just do nothing! He's here, somewhere all alone. I know he's string but I'm still worried. I have to find him! I can't leave him in here."

Batman stared at the woman before him in silence for a moment before closing his eyes. "It's dangerous in here, Taylor. There are much more enemy here than there was in the Asylum."

"That's my point!" Taylor turned to face the man in tights with a firm face. "Look, Batman, you couldn't talk me out of leaving the Asylum until my brother was found and you're not going to talk me out of here until I find Bruce! So either you stop it or I'm going to go search off of my own."

"No!" She pulled a surprised look as he shouted that. He had reached out to grab her but he caught himself. Clearing his throat and pulling his hand back, Batman locked eyes with her. "No. It would be much safer to move together. We can look for Bruce as we travel through the City. But you cannot leave my side or get lost, understand? This place is much different than the Asylum was."  
Taylor gave a sigh of relief, glad that he wasn't going to argue with her. "All right, I can do that." She shoved her hands in her pockets and gave the man in front of her a quick look over. Believe it or not, he looked like he hadn't changed at all.

Batman was still dressed in that tight, grayish black leather that happily showed off his muscular body beneath that black coat of his. Still wearing that matching utility belt, the pointed helmet covered everything on his face but the firm chin, blue eyes and lips. Lips that she remembered touching right before-

~No!~ She told herself, pulling her gaze away. ~I can't be thinking about that right now. I can keep it in my dreams but never can I do anything about it. I'm here for Bruce and nothing else~

"So, B-Man, got any plans on what to do first."

"We need to find Mr. Freeze." Was her answer.

"Victor?" She blinked, clearly shocked. She then gave a short laugh. "Well, ain't that something?" She took a step forward to the ledge. "I was just with him."

"What?" Batman sounded shocked.

"When I first got here, Penguin and his goons were trying to chase me down. I ran into Victor as he was trying to make that cure Joker needed. I was sorta helping him until Penguin's goons showed back up looking for me. Victor told me to hide and protected me from them. They overpowered the Doctor somehow and took off with him. I tried to save him but that's when Harley showed up and took me to Joker." She rubbed her cheek; it was still tender.

"Do you know where Penguin is at? Or where they took Freeze?"

"Unfortunantly not," Taylor sighed, shaking her head. "But I can tell you where we were. You might be able to find a way to track Victor down."

"That could help." Batman nodded.

"We were in the old Police Department." She told him. "I don't know where it is from here; everything had changed since it was turned into Arkham City."

"That's fine; I can find it." Batman assured her.

"Good, now I just have one question," She began. The man glanced at her. "How in the hell are we going to get there? We're over water right now."

Batman gave her a smile. "Don't worry; I have my ways."

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	4. Chapter 4

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

**Chapter Four**

**Riddle Me This**

**It was completely Arkham Asylum again, going around and beating the inmates up as they traveled through everything. **There were just two things different this time. One, they were outside in the snow and Taylor was freezing, and two, Batman wouldn't let the Detective leave his sights for a moment. He moved as fast as he could to beat the hell out of the inmates before any of them could get to her too much. She had several ideas on why but she just shoved it aside when they reached the GCPD building. If Batman wanted to do all the fighting, then let him.

"Wait a second," Batman's voice froze Taylor.

"What is it?" She asked.

He was staring off to the side, at the doors of another building. "A side trip."

The detective pulled a face but followed after the man in tights into the new building. Nothing was waiting on them…at least, not what Taylor had been expecting. What was waiting on them was a man.

A Certain man.

A huge man.

A certain huge man with tubes sticking out of his back.

"Oh shit!" The detective dove behind Batman, getting ready to move again when Bane came running at them but he didn't. The man just turned to face them.

"Surprised to see me?" Bane grinned at the duo.

"A little," The Dark Knight replied. "Last time I saw you, you were wrapped around the hood of my car."

"You knew it would not kill me."

"Yeah, well, our fingers were crossed." The woman told him, peeking over the man's shoulder. Had Bane gotten…bigger?

"I wasn't trying to," Batman told the larger man. "I'm in no mood for a fight. What are you doing here?"

"Doctor Young's TITAN formula," Bane answered him. "The payaso managed to send some off Arkham Island before you stopped him."

"How much more did Joker manage to get off the island?" The man in tights demanded.

"Too much. That's why I'm here. I will not allow the basura of this city to abuse the TITAN. Dr. Young used me to create it. It is my duty to destroy what remains.

Batman thought for a moment. "We'll help you, but understand this; if you try anything, I'm taking you down too. We find TITAN containers, we destroy them. Deal?"

Bane's chuckle sent shivers down Taylor's spine. "Of course. Each container has a radio beacon built in. there were twelve containers left in this city. We take six each, then we meet back here."

"Six each? Fine." Batman nodded. "But remember, today isn't a good idea to lie to me, Bane."

The big man, wearing a smile, turned from them. Taylor followed B-Man out of the room as quick as she could. She remembered the feel of her back after that psycho smashed her against the wall. When the doors shut, she glanced at the man beside her.

"Can we get to the Police Station now?"

"You know how to get in?"

She grinned. "Just like last time…" She then paused. "You ever thought of breaking windows in buildings, Bats? You could do it and it would be much easier to get inside many places."

Batman opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. A small smile passed over Taylor's lips as she turned and led the way to the garage door that she had traveled through last time.

As they traveled through the halls, Taylor couldn't help but grin at the multiple Penguin goons that Victor Fries had taken down with him. She still felt responsible for getting him caught, though.

It seemed that Penguins goons came back to search for her some more because they were waiting on the two of them when they arrived. They had locked the doors so the Dark Knight had to use another of his gadgets to get them through the doors. Unfortunantly, crawling around corners and things had come back though, and Taylor was not in the mood to play. When the five goons were down, Batman grabbed the last one and held him by his collar.

"Where's Freeze?"

"He's in the museum! Penguin's got him!"

Penguin decided to make himself heard; much like Joker had in the Asylum. _"I'll have to cut that tongue out of your head, boy. I don't like people tellin' tales on me." _

"No! I'm sorry, Mr. Cobblepot. He made me tell him." Batman knocked the goon out.

"_You can 'ave him, Batman. I'm safe and sound here in my museum. Try and get me if you like. I've got plenty of surprises ready for you and your friend if you do, starting right now."_

"Stupid dwarf," Taylor hissed with a frown as something began to rumble.

"That doesn't sound good." Batman commented.

"You think? We are now locked inside the building." She moved away from the man in tights and moved to the table that she and Freeze had been standing at. She heard the dark knight talking into his radio but she ignored it as she tried to figure out what they had been missing right before Freeze had been taken. What could finish this cure?

But her mind went to something else. The lock codes for the Police building. What the hell was she worried about? She worked here for how long? She knew these codes. Gordon never changed them.

"Hah! As I said before," Taylor grinned, turning from the keypad. "Stupid dwarf. Now, let's go find this museum." She then grabbed her head. "God, I hope Bruce is somewhere safe."

"This…man you're looking for," Batman had paused in his steps. "Wayne…why are you here for him?"

"Again, Bats?" Taylor sighed, turning to face him. "I explained this not too long ago."

"Indulge me." He replied.

The detective gave another silent sigh.

"About a week after the Asylum, I began," She swallowed, her nerves shaking. "Dating Mr. Wayne."

"I remember you mentioning him in the Asylum." The Dark Knight told her.

"Yeah. He approached and I accepted. It's been…actually a lot of fun for the last six months. Normally I don't date after…all that happened with my father, but Bruce has been…I guess I can say patient."

"And what happened with your father?"

Taylor stared at the Dark Knight for a moment. Why was he so interested in this? What was going on through this man's head? "When we ran into Scarecrow in the Asylum, he made me relive it all. My ex-boyfriend, Chad, didn't like that I wouldn't sleep with him and that I broke up with him. He broke into my house where I was taking care of my father and killed him. Chad was…the first person that I had killed when he tried to…have his way with me." Her eyes closed as she turned and pressed her forehead against the wall. "I don't like killing people, but sometimes you just have to." She opened her eyes again. "Since then, I didn't really pay attention to men. I focused on my work. Then, with the events at the Asylum, I…" She couldn't tell Batman that she was attracted to him as well. It felt…wrong. 'I'm here to save my boyfriend but I have a thing for you too, B-man.' She felt like…like a whore. "When Bruce was kidnapped, I didn't even think about it. I changed from what I planned on wearing to our dinner and hurried here. I…I couldn't just stay there in my house and wait. Bruce is strong, I know this, but he's here, all alone somewhere. I don't know what they're doing with him or why they took him, but I have to find him."

"You really care about him, don't you?"

"Of course." She opened her eyes again and pulled back from the wall. "I might not have known him for that long but…there's just something about him. He, I guess you could say, pulled me out of my little hole of fear."

Things were silent for a moment and Batman turned his back to the woman, hiding the small smile on his face. "Don't worry. I'm sure Wayne is fine." He told her. "And I'm sure that he's not alone."

Taylor turned and watched as the man in tights walked away. She gave a sigh and followed after him. ~I hope you're right~

Penguin's voice, and explosions, went off but Taylor ignored them both, just following the man in tights through the cold city of inmates. It turned out that it wasn't just the inmates that were their enemies. TYGER Guards were a part of their attackers as well. The woman began to fear for her brother's safety. She tried to call him again but it went straight to voicemail.

They made their way to a Medical Center on the way to the Museum. Taylor opened her mouth to ask what Batman was doing but lost her voice.

On the screen hanging in the hall, Taylor frowned at the sight of Riddler, AKA Edward Nigma, staring down at them. _"Oh no, where have they gone? Could it be that while you were out doing what you do, I, the Riddler, snuck in and took all those poor, stupid fools?"_

"Where have you taken them?" Batman asked him, not in the mood for games.

"_Questions, questions, Dark Knight. It's not you who needs answers here, it's me. You answer my riddles and I tell you where they are. You answer my riddles and they don't die. So, shall we begin?"_

"Are you going to give us any other choice?" Taylor scowled, crossing her arms.

"_You, of all people Detective Carmichael, should know that answer." _He grinned at her. _"I'm am instrument whose music always comes from the heart. What am I?"_

Things were silent for a moment as Taylor glanced around the church, her brain thrashing. A grin spread across her lips. "An organ."

"_Well done. See, you can do it. Solve enough of my carefully constructed conundrums, and I'll tell you where the rest of my hostages are. The first is in the courtroom. I suggest you hurry. He may have been sentenced already. Don't get too comfortable, Dark knight. All through Arkham City, deep, undercover, are people working to ensure that I am informed of what the other so-called super-criminals are planning. Right now, one of them is arranging a little welcoming committee for you two outside."_

"Are we really going to go chasing this idiot around?" Taylor glanced at the man moving beside her.

"If he's got hostages, then yes."

She sighed. "I knew you would say that." As they stepped outside to a set of goons, all of them but Riddler's informant was taken out. The cop held an arm behind his back, pulling it up as she forced him to cooperate. When they received what they wanted, the man was knocked out and the two detectives went along their way.

Taylor was entirely pleased that she had kept the Dark Knight's belt and utilities to get around Arkham City with him. If she found herself holding onto his like she had been before in the Asylum, she was plenty sure that there would have been a problem. And a problem she might not have been able to keep from happening.

There were several other Riddler informants that they ran into on the streets and they gave them everything that they needed to know about what the Riddler was planning.

The first man they saved was Eddie Burlow. He had been forced to help Riddler get the people out of the Church and then another Riddle.

"_If you know me, you'll want to share me but if you share me, I'll be gone. What am I?"_

The answer to that was 'Secret' and it led them to another hostage. Taylor let Batman take care of this electrified room on his own, this time. Doctor Adam Hamusau. (sorry, could not read screen, XD) From this man, the riddle was this:

"_Riddle me this. The more you see, the less there is. What could I be?"_

'Darkness'. These things were beginning to be too easy to solve with the contraption that Riddler had left for them to use. Something had to be going on here, and something that Riddler had been planning for a long, long time.

Hostage number three was William North. Riddler was starting to get pissed that Batman and Taylor were saving these men; you could tell by his voice and his accusation of them cheating.

"_Riddle me this. I have a head, a tail, but never any legs. Do you know what I am?"_

'Penny' was the answer and Edward Nigma was seriously getting furious! Taylor found herself getting a little nervous as he yelled at them. As they glanced around the next 'cell', Taylor shook her head.

"What the hell is wrong with this guy? Electric drills and water?"

"He's insane." Batman told her.

"Yeah, a lot of your friends are insane, Bats. I'm now starting to wonder whether or not you are as well for putting up with all this shit." She could have sword that he mumbled an agreement under his breath.

The hostage this time was a woman. She had forgotten her number for a moment but called it back up and gave them their next riddle.

"_Riddle me this. I'll be right under your feet in the midday sun. you cannot lose me, no matter how you run. What am I?"_

'Shadow' was easy to find, and so was Riddler's anger as he gave them the next location. Taylor ignored the man on the screen and just moved onto the next room, ready to get this over with and save Bruce…until she found the man hanging from the ceiling as blades rotated towards them over electrified floor panels.

"This guy is crazy." Taylor sighed again. "And to think, I happily came back to face these lunatics again." She paused. "Then again, the longer I'm in Gotham the more I'll have to deal with these psychos. Maybe I should move to a different city." She glanced at the Dark Knight. "What do you think?"

"_Riddle me this," _The next riddle began. _"Hit me hard and I will crack but you'll never stop me from staring back. What am I?"_

"A mirror." Taylor grinned. "Easy as hell."

There was only one hostage left and they hurried over to get all this crazy shit over with. This time, the room was an electrified floor hanging in the air. Riddler shocked the woman and she fell to her knees. Batman, once again, made Taylor stay behind and watch as he rescued the hostage. She frowned. He seemed to be wanting her to stay behind more and more the further they traveled through Arkham City. She began to wonder what was going through that man's mind. The room must have been huge because Taylor had to watch the guard get shocked multiple times before Batman saved Anne Bishop. She didn't have a code for them. Batman contacted Oracle and Bats ordered her to try and find out where Riddler was hiding. The woman seemed surprised to find Taylor stuck with the Dark Knight again and asked her if she was crazy in getting involved with these psychos again.

Apparently she was.

"_I think I found a link to all of Riddler's rooms. It seems they were all owned by a Mr. Find. He seemed to have acted as some kind of Property Broker."_

"When was this?" Batman asked her.

"_Before Arkham City was built," _Oracle answered him. _"It's a long shot, I know, but he sold one other property before Arkham had been built. There's no record of who too but I'm sending you the location now."_

"Not a problem. We can check it out, right B-man?" Taylor asked him.

"Right." He nodded.

It seemed that Oracle had been right. They found Riddler and his other hostages. Back to crawling through vents quietly, Taylor froze at the sound of Cash's voice as he threatened to hurt Riddler for whatever he was doing to them. If Cash was here…was Dylan? Was Bruce?!

Glancing down from the vent she was in, Taylor realized that the hostages had bombs attached to the multiple hostages as they continued to walk around the room, like mice. As Riddler and Cash continued to growl at eachother, she realized that if they stopped walking, they would explode. She could not let this happen. She was the first to drop down to the floor and signaled to the hostages to keep quiet. Cash's gaze landed on her in shock but a firm face replaced it as he guarded her body from Riddler's gaze as she moved around the room to get closer to the psycho in green. Batman was right behind her but beat her to the floorboard under the Riddler, and yanked him under in time for her to join them and land a kick across the man's face.

"Fuckin' Lunatic." Taylor hissed, a hand on her hip.

"Taylor!" Cash hurried over to her and she immediately pulled the bomb off of his head. "What are you doing here?!"

"Rescuing people, like always." She glanced around the room as Batman took care of the others. "Is Dylan in here?"

"No. I'm not sure where he is. I remember him saying something about Penguin but that was an hour or so ago."

"Penguin, huh?" The woman hung her head. "I should have known."

"This cannot be happening." Riddler shook his head about ten minutes later. They had hooked him up to what he had the guards on, the bomb helmet on his head. "Do you really expect me to fall for this, Dark Knight? I know you won't kill me."

"True," The man nodded. "But you can't say that about the others, can you?"

"Get your ass moving, Riddler." Cash growled at him, holding the detonator in his hand.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Riddler growled.

"Do I need to press the button?" That got Riddler moving, shooting threats at Bats and the woman over his shoulder. Cash glanced at the man in tights. "You sure this thing won't work?"

"No," Batman shook his head. "But there's no point in letting him know that, is there?"

"All right," Taylor looked at the man beside her. "Can we get back to saving Victor from Penguin?"

Batman nodded his head. "Let's go."

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	5. Chapter 5

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

_**Chapter Five**_

_**Stupid Dwarf**_

**Inside of the museum was…strange. **They had to make their way around outside and unlock the doors to the museum. Penguin's goons were causing problem to them, but they were quickly taken care of. They had to move through the Subway tunnels but they was done without a problem. The dup were silent as they continued on their way, Taylor keeping to herself as she kept her worries silent.

Her brother, Dylan, had apparently gone off to look for the Penguin so he was somewhere close by and Bruce…God, she didn't know where he was. She knew that Penguin had a problem with Bruce so maybe he had something that he could tell her. She prayed that Bruce was still okay, or that he was hiding somewhere and not in-

"Holy shit!" Taylor gave out a cry as the T-Rex's head came running through the opening in the wall, making the detective jump backwards as it roared at them.

"_The Tyrannosaurus Rex was a bipedal carnivore that roamed the land that eventually became Gotham City over 65 million years ago."_

"Jesus Christ," Taylor rubbed her chest, her heart thumping as loud as it could. "Good lord,"

"Are you all right?" The man in tights asked her, glancing over his shoulder.

"Yeah, just…wasn't expecting that." She turned and glanced over the railing, lifting a hand. "There are a couple of them downstairs," She said quietly.

Batman knelt beside her and glanced at the men. "They're wearing body armor. We'll need to unleash a series of quick, focused attacks to penetrate their defenses."

"You wanna do it, or shall I?" She asked.

"I'll do it," He told her. "You stay here."

Taylor frowned. "Didn't you try and tell me that last time, too? You know that I'm here to help and I'm going to help, whether you like it or not."

Batman gave a sigh. "Just for this moment, please wait here, Angel. I'll take care of them."

Taylor sighed and crossed her arms. "Fine, but next time, I-" Her voice caught in her throat and she stared at the man. "What did you call me?"

Whether or not he heard her, Batman didn't answer her as he slowly moved down the stairs, crouching down to hide behind the railing. Taylor stared after him. Was she crazy or had he actually called her 'Angel'? Maybe she was going crazy, in her worry with Bruce. Only Bruce called her that, being her nickname when they would be out on a date or just at Bruce's manor, talking and spending time together. Her worry for her boyfriend was making her hear things. After all, Bruce wasn't Batman. There's no way that he could be, right?

Taylor followed down the steps after Batman had taken care of the enemy and she was heading towards the door when something caught her attention. In one of the glass cases to the left of the room, there was a woman sitting there, staring out at them. She thought that it was a doll for a moment before her eyes blinked. In confusion she moved towards it and pressed the button on it.

It was Penguin's voice that sounded. _"Now this little minx is a real puzzle. Where did she come from? How did she kill 8 of my men before we managed to hold her down and beat her into unconsciousness? All I know, is…I like her pajamas."_

That comment made her laugh, resulting in a glare being shot from her from the woman trapped in the glass.

"Carmichael!"

At the voice calling her, Taylor turned to look at the Prisoner that the enemy had been dealing with. She pulled a surprised face. "Jones?" she stepped towards him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Gordon sent me and a few others in here," Jones told her as Batman turned to listen in. He looked at the man in tights. "I'm from the 13th Precinct, part of the strike team. Been in here since the beginning."

"If Gordon sent you, you'll know the code?" Batman commented.

Jones began to nod. "Yeah, yeah! He said…Oh man, what was it?"

"The code! Now!" Batman growled.

"Jesus," Taylor stared at the man beside her. "Calm down, dude. Give him a moment. The code is the last thing on his mind after being captured by Penguin's goons, got it?"

"We don't have time for this," Batman replied quietly, but he turned, crossing his arms as he waited.

Taylor gave a sigh as she looked at the other cop. "All right, Jones, just think. What was the code?"

Silence passed for a moment before the man clapped his hands with a smile. "Sarah! He said to tell you the code is 'Sarah'."

"You're safe, officer." Batman's voice was calm again as he dropped his arms.

"It's Jones, Batman. Elvis Jones."

"Gordon told me he planned on sending a team in," Taylor crossed her own arms at the moment.

"He wanted to know what was going on in here." Jones sighed to the detective. "I guess we found out. There were ten of us. Hopefully, there still are."

"I told Gordon it was too dangerous to send you in." Batman sighed. "Stay here. If the rest of your team is alive, I'll find them."

"Who else is here?" Taylor asked him.

Jones took a breath. "Southwold, Denning, Sanchez, Michaels, Miller, Whitman, Strickland, Forrester, and Bast."

"Whoo, this is gonna be fun." Taylor sighed as she moved down the stairs to the other door.

Batman had to use one of his remote-controlled Batarangs to slip through a hole in the gate to unlock the path they needed. The path opened up the way to what was called the Gladiator Pit and the two of them glanced around the area, seeing a lot of people around here, crying and some cheering.

"Help…me…" the voice caught their attention to find one of the cops moving toward them, before a gunshot went off and he fell forward, revealing Penguin standing behind him with umbrella as he laughed.

Batman pulled out a Batarang but the dwarf shook his head. "I wouldn't do that if I was you." He turned. "Show 'em what we got." A huge, one armed man moved forward, holding another cop. "So, Batman, you 'ere for the cops? The Ice-man? Or me?"

"I was only here for Fries and the hostages," Batman admitted. "But now…I'm taking you down too."

"Oh, aren't you scary?" Penguin laughed.

"You kidding me?" Taylor commented. "This guy's the scariest dude I know. You'd think that you'd be smart, Cobblepot. After all, he's beaten your ass multiple times already, haven't you?"

"Ah, Detective Carmichael!" Penguin grinned at the woman as one of his men placed a cigar in his mouth and lit it. "I was wondering when you were going to show up."

"Well, I had to after your moronic goons took Mr. Freeze instead of me. Next time you should tell them to search the entire room instead of leaving."  
"Is that right," Penguin frowned, glancing at the man beside him. "Well, I'll take care of that later.

"Hey, I got a question for you," Taylor crossed her arms. "Was it Mr. Freeze that broke your arm like that? Because if he was, I'll gladly thank him when I save him from you."

Penguin gave a frown as he lifted his left arm. "Ha. I'm afraid that would be pointless. Wayne, in fact, is who broke my arm."

"Wayne?" Taylor raised a brow is surprise; Batman gave a low cough. "Is that right?" She grinned happily. "Well, when I find him, I'll have to thank him instead. Thank goodness it's him because my thanks will be something…private."

"There was a tale going on about you and Wayne being an item," Penguin gave a huge grin. "So that adds a little something to my plan." He took another puff. "You see, I'm what you might call, a collector." His cigar was removed. "If someone wants it, I like to think…I've got it. And if I don't have it, I'll get it. So here's the thing. Back there, I've got a cabinet with both your names on it, just waiting to be filled. And, as luck would have it, here you are, standing just where I want you." He gave another laugh. "So, what do you think? Are you going to be a good boy and girl and give up nicely?"

Taylor opened her mouth to make a comment but movement behind Penguin caught her attention. A small smile spread across her face.

"You're not giving orders here anymore, Cobblepot." Batman hissed.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Penguin grinned.

"Same here, you stupid dwarf." A voice from behind him commented.

"Wha-" Penguin and his men up on the floor were caught off guard as a man behind them began to move, knocking a few out of the way. "Carmichael!" He hissed.

Taylor gave a grin. "Way to go, Dylan!" She cheered to her brother.

Jumping onto Penguin's back, Dylan hopped into the shoulders of the large, one handed man and caught the large man off guard. He dropped the cop to the floor, who ran past Taylor and Batman towards the other room, and tried to grabb Dylan. He received a boot to his face instead as the ex-marine hopped down to join Batman and his sister.

"Glad to see your safe," Taylor smiled.

Dylan glared at her. "After this is over with, Taylor, we're going to have a long talk about you being a moron in sneaking in here.

The woman sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I should have known that."

"Look around you. This horrible bunch of psychopaths are all begging to join up with me, but unfortunantly for them, I only take the best. And today, best only means who can kill you."

"Well, then I have to say that's going to turn out to be no one, right guys?" Taylor asked, grabbing the rod Dylan handed out to her.

"You got that right." Dylan hissed, the other rod in his own hand.

Penguin gave a snort. "Come on out, lads. It's initiation time!" The gates were lifted and the goons ran out. "I don't pay you lot to dance. I pay you to fight, so fight!"

Taylor was pleased that her brother had finally joined them. With the trio the men were easy to take care of and it was seriously pissing Penguin off. They were able to keep eachother safe and the goons were rid of quickly.

"You weren't supposed to do that," Penguin hissed at them. "You're forcing me to bring out the big guns." He aimed at them with his umbrella gun but then quickly lifted it and shot a large cage from the ceiling. Batman dodged out from beneath it, joining the twins on the other side of the room. The cage was ripped open and a masked man burst out at them.

"Dammit," Dylan growled. "Not again. Didn't we have morons like this at the Asylum?"

"Unfortunantly," His sister sighed as they dodged out of the way as the man tossed the cage at them.

"Aww, he doesn't look happy to see you three. Good luck!" the dwarf let them to fight.

Batman moved first, using his Ultra Stun on the Titan infected thug before they could beat him down. More of the other goons attacked but they used the thug to beat them up so everything was fine, considering what was happening. Taylor was extremely happy that this wasn't Bane instead like it had been during the events at the Asylum.

"I found Penguin," Batman began, talking to his radio. Taylor turned to her brother, wrapping him in a hug.

"Glad to see you're okay, Dylan."

"I'm okay?" He pulled back from his sister, holding her shoulders. "You're the one I'm worried about. Taylor, the longer you're in here, the more you'll be hurt. In the Asylum you almost had a broken arm. I can only imagine what can happen here. You could die, Taylor!"

"So could you!" She told him. "Or Batman. Or Bruce! I can't just leave you all here. I need to find Bruce! When I do, I won't mind leaving, but I'll be taking you with me, too, dammit!"

Dylan stared at his sister for a moment before giving a sigh. "All right. I'll help you find Bruce, but after that you're leaving."

"We're leaving." She corrected him. "Something's not right with these TYGER members. I don't like you being here."

He closed his eyes and let go of his sister. "Fine. I'll leave with both of you."

"Nice of you to join us, Oracle," Batman's voice was low as it hit Taylor's ears. Why was he… "Alfred, bring Barbara up to speed." ~Alfred?~ She asked herself, staring at the man in tights. ~It couldn't be…~ Batman caught her gave. "I'll be in touch."

"All right, B-Man," Dylan began to talk before Taylor could. "What are we doing now? Are we chasing the dwarf down?"

"We're going to continue looking for Mr. Freeze," Taylor answered him, turning her face from Batman. "After we find him, I'm sure we'll run into Penguin again."

"Fries?" Dylan raised a brow. "He's one of the few that doesn't do anything stupid or wrong here. What are we after him for?"

"Several reasons," His sister answered. "But the main reason for me is because he got caught when Penguin sent his goons after me."

"What were you doing with him?" He asked her.

"Well, I was helping Victor try and make the cure for Joker and-"

"Cure? Joker? What the hell are you talking about?"

Taylor sighed at her brother as they began to move towards the other room. "Let me start from the beginning."

**So, things are starting to come together to Taylor and Bats. I can't wait. The truth is going to be revealed pretty soon; either the next chapter or the chapter after that. Can't wait!**

**PLEASE REVIEW :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

_**Chapter Six**_

_**Secret's Out**_

"**JESUS CHRIST! **WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOUR ENEMIES?!"

Taylor gasped for breath as she pulled herself onto the ledge beside the two men with her. "Who in the hell keeps a shark under a plate of ice!? I hope that damn dwarf comes out here and gets pushed in and eaten!"

"Damn, so mean today, Taylor," Dylan teased his sister. "What's got you pissed off?"

"Not funny, dude. Not at all."

She had explained everything to her brother as Batman had saved a few more of the cops and gotten him up to speed with everything that she knew was going on. Penguin was in Iceberg Lounge with Freeze's gun so they had to find Freeze first and set him free. He could give them some tips on how to defeat his gun until they got it back to him.

But there was something knew that was troubling her now and, once again, in was that man in the suit before them as they continued on through the Museum, but in a different way now. Things were clicking together, and not in ways that she liked it. If her suspicions were true, it explained a lot of things, but how? How could it be true? Taylor found herself, praying to God, that it wasn't true but at the same time she found herself wanting it to be true. Strange, right?

"They're using thermal imaging headsets," Batman announced when they came upon the next group of goons. "Anyone wearing them will be able to spot me hiding up in the darkness."

"Then let's just beat the hell out of them." Dylan told him, moving quietly down the stairs. Taylor moved after her brother.

"No worries, Mr. Cobblepot. We've got it covered. Freeze's suit is in the case. I'm looking at it now."

"_You better, son. Batman's on his way and the last time I saw him, he didn't look very happy."_

"He's not getting past me and the boys, sir. The suit is safe."

"You know, Taylor grinned as she dropped down behind the man from the railing on the stairs. "That's what they all say."

There were about ten men in the room and the moment they could, the cops held hostage dealt some blows on the one near them, making the job quick.

"Saw you three clear the room," Miller smiled at them. "Awesome work, man! The name's Tom. Tom Miller." He glanced at Taylor. "Good job, Carmichael."

"You're part of Gordon's trike team. I've seen your file." Batman commented.

Miller looked shocked. "You have? I mean, yes, sir. Cobblepot's turned this place into a fortress. Someone ratted us out. Me and the boys got grabbed, brought here, and beaten the crap out of."

"You're safe now. There are just two more of you unaccounted for."

"Have you tried the Iceberg Lounge?" Tom asked. "Cobblepot liked to take us in there and beat us up some more. If we're lucky, that's where they are."

"A good shot," Dylan told the duo beside him as they turned away. "But we gotta find Freeze first to get info on that dang gun of his that the dwarf now has." He shook his head. "The goon said that Freeze was somewhere in here so you two go and find him. I'll stay here and give the cops some weapons incase they're attacked again."

"You should go get the cops out there by the water, too," Taylor told her brother. "Get them warm and the guys in here so extra help."

"Good idea. Meet me back here after you get down with Freeze?" Dylan asked. The Dark Knight gave a nod. "Good. Be careful."

Taylor sighed and began to head up the stairs. "Now, which room would he be in?" She glanced around. "Eeny-meny-miny-moe, I wanna know which is Freeze's home."

The path to Freeze's 'cell' was on the other side of the water. The ice was starting to melt, though, and they had to hurry over.

"Oh My God…" A look of complete horror was on Taylor's face at the sight behind the gate. Cobblepot had ripped Freeze's suit off of him and tossed him into a beach-like pen, the hot lights radiating down onto him. She crawled under the gate and hurried to the glass. "Victor!"

"_Surely no introduction is necessary," _Penguin's voice began as she touched the glass. Freeze was clawing at it weakly, trying to get out of it. _"A Prize-winning cryogenic scientist pushed to the edge of sanity by a desire to help his poor, dying wife…Or an old man, captured by me and stuck on the grill?"_

"Batman, we have to do something!" The woman cried in fear.

"I know." The man in tights pulled out his explosive gel and moved to the wall beside the tank but something else rammed out instead, bringing trouble with it. Batman took care of the large German as Taylor took out the four goons with him. She didn't even wait for Batman to finish his battle first before she hurried through the hole in the wall and to the back of Freeze's pen. It was locked by another panel.

"Thank, Taylor," The Detective hissed at herself. "What would Penguin set the code as?"

"M-M-Microwave." She glanced up to see that Freeze had moved to the back of the pen. He stared down at her in pain. "Men…joke…"

Nodding in understanding, Taylor tried the word. It worked, and the blue-man collapsed into her arms right as the gate opened. "Oh Lord," she felt so responsible for what had happened to this man in her arms. If she hadn't of been tracked to the Police Station then he never would have been found! If he hadn't been protecting her, then he would have been safe! Not in this horrible predicament. "I'm so sorry, Victor. This is all my fault!"

Victor grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "You came to save me."

"Of course! I couldn't just leave you in Penguin's hands. They were after me, not you! I-Batman!" She gasped in shock.

Batman had ripped the blue-man from her arms, against her protests, and held him on his knees by on head. "Joker's cure. Where is it?" He let go and Victor took a deep breath.

"Forget the clown. I want Cobblepot." Victor gasped. "He has my suit. My weapons. I'll end him for what he's done to me."

Taylor placed a hand on his shoulder, carefully leading the blue man to lean against the back of the pen. "Your suit isn't far from here, locked in a pen. Your gun, though, the dwarf is using that himself." Freeze gave a displeased face.

"Penguin's mine," Batman hissed. "You need to stay focused on that cure or innocent people will die."

"You don't understand. I cannot complete my work without it. I must have it. Everything depends on it. Everything."

"Your gun," Taylor began, squeezing his hand. "The dwarf is using it. Is there a way to get past it?"

He glanced at her. "I would gladly tell you, but…" He glanced at the Dark Knight. "Do I look like a fool? Why would I tell you that?"

"Because if I can't get past it, I won't help you get your suit. I wouldn't let Taylor here help, either. Think about it, Victor. You don't look well. If you're gone, what will happen to Nora?"

The detective pulled a horrified face. ~What the hell is his problem!? Why would he say something like that?!~ Oh, the Dark Knight was in trouble after they were alone again.

"Leave me wife out of this, Batman!" Victor cried out in anger. "Don't let this situation fool you. We are not friends." Batman wasn't taking it anymore and lurched forward, ripping the tube out of Victor's chest. "No!"

"Today is not a good day to push me, Victor." Batman hissed, turning the tube to pour a bit of the liquid out.

"Stop!" Victor cried out, clutching at the hole in his chest.

Taylor wasn't sure what that liquid was but she knew that it had something to do with keeping Victor alive. Oh, he was in some serious trouble.

"There's a security override chip I built into the suit to stop anyone using my weapons against me." His gasping was getting worse.

"How did that work out for you?"

"Batman!" Taylor hissed at him. "Your attitude is not helping the situation."

"Why don't you go get the security override and figure out a way to stop him yourself."

"It's been a pleasure, Victor." The man in tights turned to walk away. Taylor ran after him and blocked his path. "Move."

"You can't just leave him here like this, Batman." She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not going to let you do that, even if I have to knock you out myself."

Batman turned to Victor and tossed him the tube back. "Keep thinking about that cure. I'll get you your suit back."

Taylor moved back to Freeze as Batman continued to move. "Are you going to be all right here until you get your suit back?"

"As long as it doesn't take too long." He answered her.

She gave a sigh. "I apologize. I've…I've never seen him this pissed. But, in truth, he needs that cure has much as Joker does, now."

Victor stared at her for a moment. "So…Joker infected him as well, huh?" He closed his eyes. "Interesting."

She flushed. "I didn't tell you that, got it?"

Victor smiled at her. "Got it."

"I'll be back soon with your suit and gone, Victor."

"I'd appreciate it."

The moment Taylor turned from the blue man on the ground, her smile faded away into a look of pure anger. She hurried after the man in tights, climbing under the gate again before grabbing his arm and yanking him off down the hall, far enough to wear Freeze couldn't hear.

"What the hell was that?!" She demanded.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I was talking about! That man is weak and in a horrid state already and you rip the damn tube containing any hopes of life from his body and pour it out?! Does that seem right to you!?"

Batman glared at her. "I'm not here to play nice with them, Taylor. They're criminals. You can't be nice. Sometimes you have to be mean to get what you want."

"I could have gotten what we needed from him. You could have just let me do it! You forget, I deal with people like this all day at work!"

"I'm afraid that there's a difference between regular criminals and people like Victor Fries and Cobblepot."

"But that doesn't mean you have to treat them like you just did!" She shouted at him. "I know that you have to be tough but, pulling that…just looking at him like that…" Taylor wrapped her arms around her body as her shoulders began to shake. Victor had looked so helpless to her as he sat there in that state, gasping for breath. It made her thing of her father all those years ago in his chair. And it made her even more upset that it was all her fault he was in that state in the first place.

She had closed her eyes, trying not to cry, when Batman's arms wrapped around her. His warm, muscled body seemed to calm her down as his left hand rubbed up and down her back. She heard her heart beating in her ears as they stood there for a few minutes longer in silence. The feel of this man was so familiar, and not from the event like this in the Arkham Asylum. It was something else.

"I just…I just don't want to see you hurt like that, like my father. Not ever, Bruce."

As the name slipped from her lips, the man's hand froze and he went still. Taylor bit her bottom lip, hoping for him to deny the name, but he didn't. Instead, his hand began to move again as he continued to hold her against him. "How long?" His grip had turned tighter.

"I…" She sighed and pulled away from him, turning from his face. "Not that long, actually. I had hoped that…"

"I should have known that you would have figured it out." He commented. He glanced at her. "I can trust you not to tell anyone, can't I?"

Taylor looked at him before moving forward and reaching up. Bruce grabbed her hands to stop her for a moment before letting her go. She pulled the mask back. There it was. The firm face. The blue eyes. The black hair. the face of Bruce Wayne.

Bruce Wayne was Batman.

Her boyfriend was Batman.

The man she loved was Batman.

Most women would be ecstatic, but why wasn't she? Why did she feel…lied to?

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked him.

"Because. After the events of the Asylum, I wanted to know. Had to know. Was it Bruce you wanted, or Batman? Me or Batman? I got my answer. I was going to tell you tonight, at dinner, but then…all this happened."

Everything made sense now. Why Batman had been so shocked that she had been here to save Bruce. That he tried so hard to get her to leave the City and even more to keep her from going off on her own and to keep her out of the fights that happened.

"Think about it," Taylor sighed, shaking her head. "Me going into Arkham Asylum to save my brother and finding out that he didn't even need my help. And now, I break into Arkham City to save you, Bruce, and you don't need my help either!" She let go of his mask and turned from him. She felt her tears swelling up but she fought them back. "It seems that I wasn't needed at all, was I?"

"No, don't say that," Bruce moved forward and pulled her back to face him. "What I had told you at the Asylum, right before we fought Joker for the last time, was true."

The Detective closed her eyes.

_"Are you all right?" Batman's hand was warm on her shoulder._

_"As good as I can be, but the moment this is over and I am back in my bed I'll be completely fine again." He gave a soft chuckle. She turned to face him. "Before this is over, I would just like to say thank you, Batman. Thank you for putting up with me and for helping me find my brother. If you weren't here, then I most likely would be dead by now. I know that I can be stubborn and I am happy that it wasn't…"_

_"There's no need to thank me, Taylor," The man told her. "It would have been much harder without you then it was with you. I appreciate your help."_

_She smiled. "Good, I'm glad. Now, let's go-" She turned to follow after her brother before stopping herself again and turning back to face the Dark Knight. "Okay, don't get mad at me, but if I die in there, I'm going to do this beforehand."_

_Batman raised a brow. "Do wh-" He was cut off by Taylor grabbing the front of his cape and pulling his head down to crash her lips against his. She didn't know why she did it. It was more of a spur of the moment thing, but she wasn't going to regret it. Like she said, if she died in there at least she did that first. How many women can say that they got to kiss the Dark Knight, huh?_

"And it's still true now. I only knew how to find Freeze because of you." Bruce told her. "Without you here, I wouldn't even be this far."

She hung her head. "Now I'm more worried than ever. We have to get Victor to finish that cure for you!" She then poked him in the chest. "But let me do the talking next time, got it? You don't have to be such an ass to him."

Bruce smiled at her. He didn't know what he had been expecting her reaction to be, but her smiling and acting her normal way made everything seem normal again between them.

"Not a problem." He replied, pulling his mask back on. He went to move around her but she grabbed his left hand, squeezing it tightly as she followed behind him.

"**So, that's the famous freeze suit, huh?"** Miller asked.

"Unfortunantly." Batman replied before knocking the glass out of it.

"What are you doing?"

"Victor…Fries is across the water out there," Taylor told the cop.

"Wait ten minutes," Batman turned and handed out another blue tube to the cop. "And then get this over to him. He won't be dangerous."

"No problem, Batman." Miller walked away and Dylan watched as Batman pulled something off of the suit.

"Something to take care of the gun Penguin has?"

"Yeah," His sister nodded.

Dylan could notice the strange feel between Batman and his sister. "Hey, are the two of you all right?"

Both of them turned to look at the other member of their little group. "Fine, why?"

Dylan blinked once. Twice. Then sighed. "Batman, I believe that you have finally fallen into my sister's trap of insanity."

"I wouldn't call it insanity," the man in tights replied. "I find her to be perfect."

"Perfect?!" He cried out, He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the other cops weren't around before turning back. "Dude, is something wrong with your head? You're not falling for her, are you? That's crazy!"

"Hey," Taylor growled, glaring at her brother.

"Besides, Wayne's already got his eye on her, you know? You're getting into some serious…" He paused for a moment, taking in the strange look on Batman's face and the blush spreading on his sister's face. "No." He instantly shook his head. "No, no, no, no. I don't believe it."

"Is it that hard?" Taylor giggled, glancing to make sure they were in the clear again.

"Wait a second," Dylan tilted his head, keeping his voice down low. "You…you're Bruce Wayne?" Batman closed his eyes in silence, giving off his answer. "Son of a-" Instantly, Dylan's mind went back to a previous conversation that they held in their previous events together.

_The door, unfortunantly, was still blocked off so they had to travel through the vents again._

"_You have to get off on this, don't you B-Man?" Dylan asked. _

_That stopped the trail in the middle of the vent and Batman tried his hardest to turn around to look over Taylor's head towards the other man. "What?"_

"_Well think about it, you're bigger than I am, your shoulders are bigger than my skull and here you are squeezing into tiny vents when you have explosive gel in your pocket. Let's be honest, if you wanted too you could blow doors down but no, you want to feel tight and secure. Did your mother not hug you enough as a child and you feel some need to feel slightly embraced by these airshafts?"_

_Batman froze for a moment and stared at the man before turning back and moving towards the end of the vent. A cold feeling was left behind. Taylor turned her head over her shoulder._

"_You might have touched a nerve there, bro."_

"_Well, it wasn't like I was trying to," Dylan replied. "Much."_

"Oh," Dylan gave another wince. "Look, Mr. Wayne-can I call you that, Mr. Wayne? I didn't know that I was touching a nerve back then. I ask that you can forgive me and not…uh…kill me."

Batman gave a laugh as he turned from the man to continue on their path. "You don't have to worry about that, Carmichael. Not yet."

"Ah-ha…fuck." Dylan glanced at his sister. "I guess that means we're not leaving until all this is over with, are we?"

"Nope." Taylor smiled.

He hung his head. "Dammit."

**PLEASE REVIEW :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**Cobblepot Falls**_

**The moment they entered Iceberg Lounge, Batman had to grab Taylor and rip her out of the way of Freeze's Ice Ray. **

"Hello, Detectives! I know it's you! What is it? Finally grown a pair and come to find me?"

"No," Taylor grunted as she peered out around the corner. "I'm here to grab yours and rip them off…if you even have any anymore, you stupid dwarf!"

"This place is mine!" Penguin growled. "Piss off outa here!"

"Such lovely words to use in front of a lady, right Bats?" Dylan teased as he got his gun ready. "So, you want him dead, alive, or wounded?"

"Alive, if you would."

"Oh, can I please shoot him in his broken arm?" Taylor began to beg. "Or atleast stomp on it when he goes down? Please, please, please?"

"You're a horrible person, Taylor, you know that?" Her brother commented.

"Yes, and?"

Batman gave a smile. ~That's my girl~ "Can the two of you distract him while I get close?" He asked quietly.

"Not a problem," The twins looked at the other. "Ready?"

"Procedure 34?"

"Procedure 34."

Batman wasn't quite sure what the hell Procedure 34 was as they started but he soon got a picture of it as their shouts began at the man in the middle of the room.

"Hey, Cobblepot, can you hit this?"

"Or how about this?"

Over here, short-stuff."

"Come on, that's not how you aim!"

"I think that broken arm of yours is throwing you off."

"My grandmother could shoot better than that!

"Hell, I think Harley Quinn could shoot better than that!"

"Oh, that's just mean," Taylor called to her brother.

"Hey, fact's a fact, sis." He then gave a shout. "Damn, that shit's cold!"

It was then that Batman set Freeze's chip to work, taking Penguin's weapon away.

"What?" Penguin began to beat on the gun now that it had stopped working. "C'mon, fire, damn you! Stupid. Piece. Of. Crap."

Taylor looked at Batman. "Can do it? Please?" He gave her a smile and backed out of her way. With an evil grin, the Detective ran forward and gave the Penguin one of her flying karate kicks that sent him over the edge of this little stage. "Damn that felt good!"

"Hell that looked good!" Dylan gave her a high-five.

"You're finished, Cobblepot." Batman growled at the man on his back beneath them.

"No!" Penguin decided to beg for mercy. "I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me."

"I can't guarantee that."

Penguin then laughed and pulled out a button. "Me neither."

"How did we not see that?" Taylor asked as the dwarf destroyed the stand they were on. They were sucked down into the large hole. Taylor covered her head with her arms, trying not to be hit with the falling ice and metal.

"I tried to help you, Batman." Penguin called down as he stood over them. "I gave you the opportunity to end this and walk away, but oh no. You had to bethe big man. Well guess what? From up here, you look pretty small."

"Ah, shove it!" Dylan called up to him as he pushed himself to his feet. "We're all still bigger than you, shrimp."

Cobblepot finally got tired of being called small and hit his button again. Electricity lit up the area, showing off an old friend of Batman's.

"Oh, well, that explains where he disappeared to," Dylan commented.

Taylor froze. "Is that…who I think it us?"

To answer his sister, Dylan began to sing. "_Solomon Grundy, Born on a Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Took ill on Thursday, Grew worse on Friday, Died on Saturday, Buried on Sunday. This is the end of Solomon Grundy."_

"I found him down there when I bought this place. Comes in handy!" Penguin told them." Solomon broke free of his restraints in the wall, deciding to use the ball and chain as weapons.

"How the hell are we going to beat that?!" Taylor cried. "The fucker's immortal and over 10 feet tall! I'd rather fight Killer Croc than this guy!"

"Why in the hell would you rather fight alligator man?" Dylan demanded.

"Because at least we can kill the damn reptile!"

Batman had been thinking quickly. "The generators!" He called to the others. "They're giving him power. Destroy them, quickly!"

"And then what?"

"Attack him, but be careful."

The generators were a piece of cake. Batman had his explosive gel and the twins had guns, easily dodging out of the way of the large man as he swung the metal balls around. Dylan dodged the metal ball, but got caught by the chain about halfway through the battle. That sent Taylor into fury and she pulled out some moves that she had used on Bane in the Asylum. AKA, jumped on his back and held on for dear life as she hit him everywhere. She even stabbed her fist into his eyes.

"What have you done?" Penguin cried out. "You…you can't kill him! You can't!"

As Batman finished Grundy off, Taylor hurried to her brother, pulling him to his feet.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, just…wind knocked out of me." He told her, struggling to his feet. "I'm gonna kill that damn bird."

_**~The Road I walk is paved in gold**_

_**To glorify my platinum soul**_

_**I'll find a way to talk to God**_

_**So he can live with what I'm not~**_

"**Victor!" **The man in the suit turned to find the female detective hurrying to her. "Are you all right?"

"Now that I have my suit, yes," He smiled as she handed him his gun.

"Good."

"Where's Cobblepot?" He asked her.

As a reply, Batman moved into view and tossed the short man at Freeze's feet as Taylor moved out of the way.

Penguin grinned. "Well, look who it is, Mister Fr…" He then began to squeal in pan as Freeze stepped on his hand. His broken hand. Taylor and Dylan gave a snicker. ~I bet that REALLY hurts.~

"Enough." Batman told the man in the suit. "Freeze! Enough."

Freeze lifted his head to the bat. "Of course." Instead he grabbed the dwarf and slammed him against the pen that the ninja-woman was in. She jumped up from her seat, watching in interest. "You will regret what you did, Mr. Cobblepot." He then began to walk away, dragging Penguin behind him. He opened another pen and tossed the dwarf in there.

"The cure, Freeze." Batman began.

Freeze turned to face him. "There isn't one."

"What?"

"Perhaps I should elaborate." Freeze typed something into his arm and a strange screen showed up. "Creating an antidote to the disease that afflicts the clown was easy. The cure degrades too quickly. It needs a restorative element, some kind of reforming enzyme, without it, it breaks down before it can help it's host."

"I've seen this before." Batman commented.

"It is truly thanks to the detective here that I found out that I even needed the suitable enzyme," Taylor flushed as Freeze looked at her. "If she had not been there when she had, it may have taken me days to find it." The woman smiled remembering the events earlier in the night.

_"It seems you're missing something, Victor." She began, setting aside a set of the vials and picking the papers up again._

_"Missing something?" Freeze looked over at the paper she held. He frowned. "Indeed." His mind went crazy as silence passed through the room for a moment. Taylor began to flip through his notes again, trying to find an answer to what they were now searching for. She came to no answer and hung her head. ~And it had been going so good…~_

_"That's it!" Freeze's loud cry made her jump._

_"What is it?" She asked him._

_Freeze looked back at her with a smile. "What we're missing. We need-" He paused as a sound came from the floor above them. Both of them glanced at the ceiling. A foul look spread over the man's face. He looked back at the woman. "Run."_

_"What?" She was confused._

_"Hide!" He growled, shoving her away from the table as he grabbed his gun again. "Hide and don't come out until I get you!"_

"Finding a suitable enzyme is not the only problem, though. It needs to be adapted, bonded to human DNA." Freeze continued. "That will take decades: time it appears you do not have."

Taylor's heart fell. "But…" Freeze couldn't make the cure? He couldn't save Bruce or Joker?

Batman took a step closer. "What if I told you I know a man who has been exposed to that enzyme for centuries?"

Freeze turned back to him. "What man?"

"His name is Ra's al Ghul."

"Bring him to me. All I need is a sample of his blood. It is your only hope." Freeze told him.

"Ra's al Ghul is dead," Batman told him.

"Then why the hell even bring him up?" Dylan asked him.

"Then you and the clown are doomed." Freeze replied.

"Not exactly," Batman shook his head. "I need someone to tell me where the body is…then I can go wake him up."

Taylor turned to ask Batman a question when she caught sight of the woman trying to break out of her pen. She gave a frown and Batman followed her gaze as the woman broke free.

"Blasphemer. You are not worthy to peak of the great Ra's al Ghul!" The woman then turned and fled from the room.

"You are a fool, Batman. You have let your only hope escape," Freeze commented to the man in front of him.

"No, Victor. If Ra's al Ghul is in Arkham City, I now have a trail right to him." Batman replied as he glanced down at the blood trail the woman had left. "Oracle, change of plans. I'm going after the League of Assassins."

"_Why? What have they got to do with all of this? Oh, wait a minute. Is this about Ra's or his daughter?"_

Taylor raised an eyebrow as Batman shot a worried look in her direction. What did Ra's daughter have to do with any of this?

"Penguin had one of the League Assassins imprisoned in the museum. I recognized the insignia. She's a member of Talia's elite guard."

"_I knew it. What is it about that woman that makes her instantly the most important person in your world?"_

Batman glanced at the other woman again and gave a relieved sigh that she was talking to her brother now. "Keep your voice down. Besides, Talia is not the goal, Barbara. I've upload Freeze's unfinished cure. It looks to me like the answer is-"

"_Found in Ra's al Ghul's blood. Ok, Bruce, I guess you need to go after hi, but please, stay focused. Don't let her get in the way again. And don't forget that you have someone else important in your life now. More important, and better, than Talia will ever be for you."_

~I know that,~ Batman sighed as the connection broke. ~Especially when she's right beside me.~ "Dylan, Taylor, let's go."

The two men walked off but Taylor stayed behind for a moment to talk to Victor. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes," He smiled at her. "Are you?"

"Not a problem. These Assassins' haven't met Detective Carmichael yet. Don't forget, I just helped take down Solomon Grundy."

"Is that what all the noise was?" Freeze asked, glancing over his shoulder at Penguin.

Taylor followed his gaze. "Beat the shit out of that damn dwarf for me, will you? No soft blows, either."

"No from me, I assure you."

"Victor, while we were traveling around looking for you, I was looking for somewhere Joker could have placed Nora. I haven't found her yet, but I'm not going to stop looking until we find her."

Freeze stared at her in shock for a moment before a small smile spread across his face. "However did you become a detective, Carmichael? You are much too soft for this type of work."

She chuckled as she turned to leave. "You only say that because you don't know me, Victor." She gave a wave over her shoulder. "See you soon, Victor."

Victor smiled as he continued to watch her leave. "See you soon."

**Uh-oh. We all know what's going to happen in the next chapter, right? Oh, I can't wait!**

**PLEASE REVIEW :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**Crashing Down**_

"**Put your eyes back in your head."**

Dylan's voice had ripped Taylor out of her daze. They had followed that Assassin woman across the rooftops, the detective clearly amazed that she didn't fall down, and had been attacked by three more. That was when Batman's friend, Robin, decided to drop in and help. And boy, did he help. Help Taylor, at least. He helped her forget that she was in the middle of Arkham City and under attack by Assassins by how tight his damn suit was. She was happy with looking at Bruce in his Batman suit, but Robin in his tight red and black was just another piece of candy for her. Apparently, her eyes had been trying to pop out of her head as she gazed the new man up and down.

Apparently everyone noticed too. Especially Batman. "I didn't need your help." He told the other man.

"Really? That's not what it looked like from where I was standing." Robin replied.

"I had it under control. Why did Alfred send you?"

"He was worried about you," Robin replied. "And her," He nodded at Taylor.

"Aww, such a sweet man," Taylor smiled. "I'm going to have to…wait a second…" She moved closer to Robin and got a better look at the parts of his face that the mask he wore didn't cover. She sighed. "I should have known you would be Robin the moment I found out who Batman was, Tim. And let me guess, Dick is Nightwing, right?" Tim Drake smiled at the woman.

~And to think that I've been ogling over all three of you since the events at the Asylum and you were all right in front of my face.~

Batman tossed a tube at the other man. "Take this, get it analyzed and start searching the hospitals and emergency rooms. Anyone with this blood in them will be dead within 24 hours."

"Whose blood is it?" Robin then sighed. "Oh…it's yours, isn't it?" He stuffed it away. "I'll get it to the hospitals and come back. You need my help here."

Batman refused it. "I can handle it. You're needed in Gotham. Things could get worse. Much worse."

"You think?" Robin replied. "If Strange really knows who you are, what happens if he tells everyone? How will you…"

Batman grabbed Robin's arms. "Trust me. I'll find a way."

Robin sighed and then pulled out a new object. He turned to Taylor. "He sent one for you too, Detective."

"Aww, where's mine?" Dylan asked, looking hurt.

"Sorry," Robin told him as Taylor took it from his hands. "If you need me, you know where I am."

"I know," Batman nodded. "Now go!" Robin gave a sigh and jumped off the building.

"Maybe having him here wouldn't be such a bad idea," Dylan commented. "He'd be more help to you than me and my sister."

"Sadly true," Taylor hung her head. ~I feel like I'm just weighing you down, Bruce…~

"Let's go." Batman told them.

The tool was a new type of line launcher. Much better and much stronger than the one they held in the Asylum.

Taylor just stayed silent as the duo followed the Dark Knight through the tops of the city. She was sure she was going to piss herself in the process of it but was thankful that she didn't. To be honest, she was surprised that Batman had sent Robin off back to the city and kept her and her brother here with him. Robin would have been more help than the two of them would be. After all, Robin had his own tools to fly around the city and knew how to use them.

The trail led them to an underground subway and Oracle had given them a warning and a good luck.

"You know, I didn't think that bats liked sewers this much, B-man." Dylan commented as the trio walked through the area.

"If you don't stop trying to cause problems then you're gonna like the sewers too," Taylor hissed at her brother.

Some of Joker's crew were traveling around the sewers as well so Taylor was sure to keep her eyes open for somewhere Freeze's wife could be. Apparently, Joker's guys were looking for Penguin's goons so Dylan decided not to hear them whine about it anymore and took the squad out.

"How much longer before we finally get to where you're leading us, Bats?" Dylan was finally getting tired of all their strolling around and saving interns from the villains in the sewers.

"I think we're here," Taylor told her brother. She was staring up at the sign that announced that they had entered Wonder City. "We're close, anyway." She glanced over at the man in leather.

"The tracker's signal continues beyond this door, but the door looks like it's been sealed for decades." Batman commented. "The assassins must be using another way to get through."

"What the hell is that?" Dylan's voice dragged their attention to the robot sitting there on the before them.

"These must be the famous Mechanical Guardians of Wonder City," The Dark Knight answered. "It looks like their inner workings are very advanced; I'm detecting a kind of memory tape they used; almost a primitive video. Perhaps I can scan an analyze it."

"You do that," Taylor grabbed Dylan's arm and began to pull him away. "We'll be right back, B,"

Dylan pulled a face as his sister led him away. "What's wrong, Taylor?"

"Do you know anything about a woman named Talia?

"Talia al Ghul? Ra's daughter?" He asked her.

"I take it that you do," Taylor replied. "Who is she?"

"Daughter of Ra's, she aids her father in his mission of bringing peace to the world…just through eradication of most of its population. After all the training she's done by her father, there's no doubt that she's a force to be reckoned with. She finds ways to fund her League of Assassins' illegal operations, even behind bars."

"That's not what I was asking. What I really wanted to know was…do you know if there's anything weird about her and Batman?"

"What do you mean? Like, between her and Batman?" Her silence was all the answer that he needed. He clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Tay. If that man in tights has problems with another woman while he's dating you then he's a moron. I don't think you'll have a problem with that, though. Bruce is supposed to be one of the smartest guys in all of Gotham, isn't he?"

Her brother's words cheered her up. "Yeah…yeah, he is, isn't he?"

"Don't worry about it," Dylan told her again as Bats announced that he had finished scanning all of the Guardians. (A couple of women had popped out to attack, but they were no problem at all) The twins followed Batman through the path of Wonder City but towards the end, the Dark Knight seemed to phase out for a moment and fall to his face.

"Bruce?!" Taylor dropped beside him and grabbed him, pulling her up into his arms.

"_Taylor!" _Oracle's voice grabbed her from the man's headset. _"What happened?"_

"I'm not sure!" The woman cried.

"It's probably the virus," Dylan answered them. "It's taking its toll on him."

"_His vitals are dropping. It's like they're in free-fall. You need to find whatever you're looking for now."_

"How long have I got?" Batman asked, covering a cough. Taylor helped his sit up and then Dylan helped him stand.

"_I'm not going to sugarcoat it. At this rate, I'd say minutes. Seriously, Bruce, you need to tell me what you want me to do. What do I get Robin to do? You know, if you don't…" _Taylor felt her heart drop.

She must have pulled a face because Batman saw it. He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. "I'll make it."

Dylan glanced ahead. "I believe we have found our door."

"I guess s-" Taylor's voice caught as Batman fell to his knees again. She was still holding his hand so he dragged her down with him a bit. His breath was getting harder and harder. "Bruce!"

"You should have listened to my warning," They all glanced behind them see a set of Assassins drop down behind them. "There are no friends to save you down here."

"Taylor, keep him out of this," The ex-Marine told his sister. "I can take on these broads."

"But Dylan!"

"I said-"

"Stop!"

At that voice, Batman pushed himself to a stand again to turn and face the woman that was now approaching them. She clenched her teeth as the said woman slapped the Dark Knight. It wasn't hard to figure out who she was now.

"Hello, Talia," Batman greeted with a rough voice.

"How did you find us?" Talia asked him.

"Well, when you're little bird there leads us straight to you, it's not that hard." Dylan commented, shoving a thumb over his shoulder at said woman.

Talia glared at her.

"Please, mistress. He tricked me."

"Leave. I will deal with you later." She turned back to the man in leather. "You didn't need to get yourself arrested to see me, Bruce," the fact that this woman knew that Bruce was Batman pissed Taylor off. It meant that the two of them did have a little something between them. "After that night we spent in Metropolis, you could have just called."

"I'm not here for you," Batman replied instantly, trying to keep his gaze from turning to the woman beside her brother. "Where's Ra's? If he's dead again, I need you to wake him up."

"Only a true successor may stand before the great Ra's al Ghul," Talia told him. "My father always intended us to be together, to command his army." She walked around the man in tights, running a hand across his back before stopping before him. "Just imagine it. You…Me…A better world."

Taylor tried to stay calm, she really did. She understood that she couldn't have just been the only woman that Batman/Bruce Wayne had been romantically involved with, but the moment that the other woman had leaned forward to kiss the man that she was now currently dating, all strings were untied.

"Lady, look-" Taylor had reached forward and grabbed Talia's arm, ripping her away from Batman before she could lift his mask from his face. Dylan was ready to move though and was ready to jump in when the guards moved forward. They were all surprised that someone had even dared grabbed their leader. "We're not here for you and lover-boy here to catch up. We're here for a better reason. You and Mr. Brune can talk later after what we came here for is completed, got it?"

Batman gave a wince. Taylor only called him Brune when she was extremely pissed. He had to think of a way to fix this, and fast, but he also had to think of a way to get what they needed for the cure so Freeze could finish making it. An idea quickly spread through his mind, but he had a bad feeling about it."

"My apologies on my sister here," Dylan decided to tell Talia. "She's just stressed. We've been locked in here for a couple of hours now."

Talia glanced the two of them over before pulling her arm free of Taylor's grip. "I recognize the uniform of the guards," She glanced at the other woman. "But who are you?"

"A Detective of Gotham just at the wrong place at the wrong time." Taylor grumbled.

The other woman gave a laugh. "Is that so? Well, I am impressed that you're able to keep up with Bruce, let alone survive this far into the city. Now," She turned to look at the said man behind her. "So, just what are you here for, Bruce?" Talia asked.

Taylor crossed her arms, waiting for the tale of what Joker had done to him. Instead, the conversation took a very different turned.

"I'm here to take my place at your side." Batman announced.

Taylor's mouth dropped open and her eyes grew large as she stared at the man in black beside her. ~WHAT?!~

**Oh, something tells me that the next chapter is going to be very interesting.**

**PLEASE REVIEW :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**Lucky Son of a-**_

"**You wish to become an assassin? Why should I trust this change of heart?"**

Dylan watched the trio standing before him. Talia looked shocked as Batman held his firm, emotionless face. Taylor, on the other hand, looked like she was sad, mad, and lost all in one. Dylan understood what Bruce was doing, but it seemed that his sister's emotions were keeping her from putting two-and-two together. Normally he would have told his sister to calm down but he was too bored at the moment and needed some entertainment. After all, Bruce was smart. He could get himself out of the hole he had dug for himself, couldn't he?

Dylan hoped so.

"Are you prepared to take the Demon trials? You must show you are willing to take a life to save the world." Talia told him.

"I'm ready." The man answered her.

"Are you serious?" Taylor finally spoke, staring at the man before her.

She was ignored and Talia gave a smirk. "Let the trials commence." She clapped her hands and the floor opened a path before them. "The two of you can follow me, as companions of Bruce."

Taylor opened her mouth to reply but closed her mouth again. Dylan glanced at her. Her mind was raging over and over again, there was no doubt about it.

"Thousands of warriors have fallen in pursuit of the Demon. Would be successors have proven to be nothing more than children battling the enormity of creation." Talia told them.

"I've seen worse." Batman replied.

"Nothing can prepare you for what comes next. Destiny will decide your fate."

"I won't fail." Batman turned his head to glance back at Taylor. The moment that he looked back, she turned her face away from him, glancing off to the side. He felt a guilty feeling boiling in his stomach. He should try and talk to her before this continued on, but with Talia nearby there was no chance that he could. The woman had ears like a hawk.

"I have heard these words a hundred times. Let us hope you are correct." They were led through a line of women with swords towards a large door. "Your journey begins through this door."  
"Let's get started." Batman went to walk forward, but Talia stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Are you sure, Bruce? Only one man has passed this ordeal."

"Are you trying to talk me out of this?"

~I would be, but you wouldn't listen to me~ Taylor sighed to herself.

"Of course not. I just…I just want you to be certain. When the Blood of the Demon takes hold, you will be on your own."

"Like always." He commented. Taylor bit her lip.

Talia rolled her eyes. "Then may the spirits be kind."

Batman moved towards the door, his weakened state clear to all of them. Taylor felt like she was going to cry. "Bruce-" She took a few steps after him but paused when Talia threw a hand out to stop her. The man glanced back at her in silence and their eyes locked for a moment. His gaze responded to her unvoiced question.

_I'll be fine._

She was still and silent for a moment after the door had closed but she slowly came to remember who it was that stood behind her. She turned to stare at the woman who had blacked her with her arm. Talia slowly dropped it and placed a hand on her hip, glancing between the brother and sister.

"So, would you like to tell me what the two of you are doing with Bruce?"

"Oh, we're just helping him out like we did with the Asylum." Dylan told her. He totally did not want a fight between the two women to break out at the moment. They had more shit to worry about at the moments then these two fighting over a man in black leather.

"In the Asylum?" Talia glanced back at Taylor. "You mean that you're the Detective that helped him?"

"And if I am?" Taylor shoved her hands in her pockets and turned from the woman, moving to lean against the wall and wait for the rest of this to start again.

Dylan, realizing that this was just going to get worse, decided to change the conversation. "So, what exactly is going on here? What is it that Bruce is doing?"

"Bruce is undergoing the Demon Trials," Talia replied, turning to him. "If…when he succeeds, he shall take my father's place and become leader of the League of Assassins…by my side…" Dylan glanced at his sister and saw her furrowed brow and frown. "But…what are the two of you doing here? Are you wishing the join the League as well?"

"Uh, no, thank you," Taylor replied. "We're not murderers, thank you."

Dylan sighed and hung his head. "This isn't helping, Taylor." She stayed silent as Talia just stared between the two of them before turning and walking back down the hall again. Not knowing what else to do, Dylan followed her, leaving his sister to move after him. She led them to another large door and the trio just stood there in silence, not really feeling the need to talk to the others there with them.

"Bruce," Dylan's voice made both women turn to see that Batman was pausing at the stairs beneath them. A look of relief passed over Taylor's face before it fell again. They were still in trouble.

"You did it." Talia cried.

"You sound surprised." The man replied.

"Of course not. I always had faith."

"Where's Ra's? I need to see him now. I'm running out of time." Batman told her.

"Your final challenge awaits you through this door. I pray the spirits will be kind." She glanced at the twins. "You two will wait out here."

"The hell I will!" Taylor growled, balling a fist. "How do I know that you and dear daddy aren't gonna kill him?!"

"I would never do that!" Talia glared at her.

"Yeah, well, don't forgive me if I don't believe you!"

Batman and Dylan shared a quiet look. ~We have to get out of here fast; before things get worse.~ Not wanting to let this continue, Dylan shoved the door open and let Batman lead the way in.

Ra's al Ghul was not what Taylor had truly been expecting. He was an old man, kneeling over a pool of some sort towards the back of the room, a bunch of machines and other objects scattered around it as a green glow floated from the pool.

"Ra's al Ghul." Batman called out.

"Father," Talia followed.

The man turned, using his large sword as a cane that helped him turn to look at the group. "Welcome, detective." He took a glance at the twins for a moment before retuning his gaze to the man in leather. "It is time for your final challenge. Kill me. Replace me as the Head of the Demon. It is your destiny."

"I will never kill," Batman replied. "Not even you."

Talia turned and glared at the man beside her. "What? You lied to me!"

"I needed a sample of your father's blood. This was the only way."

At his answer, Taylor felt her feelings fall and a small, sound of relief passed through her lips.

"Allow me to help you," Ra's decided to reply. He reached forward and stabbed his sword into the floor. "Use my sword. Take it all."

"No."

"And that is your final answer?" He gave a grin before spreading his arms out and falling backwards into the green pool.

"Oh, well, you know that's never good," Dylan commented, placing a hand on his hip.

"I wonder how bad this one's going to be," His sister sighed, shaking her head as she moved out of the way and took a seat on one of the machines. "You two tell me how this goes."

"Wait, what?" Dylan and Batman both glanced at her. "You're not going to help?"

"Nope," The woman replied. "I think that _Brune_ can handle it ALL ON HIS OWN, don't you think?"

Batman gave a sigh. He knew this would happen. Hopefully this would be as bad as it would get, though.

The machines around the pool began to shoot electricity into the liquid and it turned into a (beautiful) pink color as Ra's stepped out of it; he wasn't old anymore, that's for sure.

"Oh…my…God…" Taylor grinned to herself. "Not too bad for an old man!"

Ra's gave her a grin before glancing back at the man in leather. "Now, only one of us can leave this chamber alive."

"We'll see about that." Batman replied, taking a step forward.

Ra's reached forward and grabbed his sword again. Then, all of a sudden, parts of the ceiling broke and a strange substance began to float in. Dylan moved out of the way and stood beside his sister, watching the fight. It was sort of amazing to watch but it filled Taylor with worry. Ra's had a sword. Normally she wouldn't have worried but Bruce was still infected with Joker's poison and it was weakening him. This had to end soon, or else…

"We are fated to rule this earth," Talia's voice knocked Taylor out of her thoughts to find that Bruce and Ra's were fighting over the sword, it being held to the elder mans' throat as his daughter walked around them. "To wipe it clean of the scum of humanity. Only we can do this."

"All right honey," Dylan called out to her. "Sure, there's a bunch of scum on this planet, believe me I know, but what give you the right to take care of them? Killing them all just makes you worse scum than they are. Murder is murder, no matter how you look at it."

Talia stared at him for a moment before glancing back to the fighting duo. "My father is old. His time is over. Ours is just beginning. Take his blade. Kill him."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Taylor had jumped to her feet. Dylan had grabbed her arm so she couldn't move forward to attack the other woman. "That man is your father! How can you just tell someone to kill him!?"

"Stay out of this!" Talia growled at her. She turned back to Bruce. "Accept your destiny. Accept our destiny."

"You know I can't do that, Talia." Batman shook his head.

"Then, beloved, you will have to die."

"Like hell he will!" Taylor wasn't sure what happened next between Batman and Ra's. what she did know, though, was that her fist had landed in Talia's face and the dup were going at it just like the two men were. "What is wrong with you people?! God, I'd rather put up with Harley Quinn and the rest of Joker's goons then to deal with you guys! You take these things way too far!"

"As I said, this has nothing to do with you!" Talia growled, landing a blow in Taylor's face as she landed another in her stomach. "Why do you get involved?"

"Because…I refuse to let the man I love go through all this alone!" that caught Talia off-guard, much like Taylor hoped it would, and her next hit sent the other woman sliding across the ground just as her father did moments later. She turned to the man in leather. "Are you okay?"

Before he could reply, Talia's voice caught them. "What are you doing?" Ra's, when she had gone to help him stand, was now being held by her father with a knife to her neck.

"Listen to me, detective. And listen well. You will kill me. You will lead the League of Assassins. Because, if you do not join us, I will kill the only person you have ever loved." Taylor felt a twinge at that, but ignored it as she set her face.

"This wasn't part of the plan." Talia cried. Bruce gave a frown and tossed Ra's' sword away and reached to grab a batarang but Taylor's had grabbed his wrist as Dylan, now behind Ra's and his daughter, grabbed the knife and released the woman before shoving Ra's away and tossing the knife off into the rubble.

"You hang out with too many freaks, Bruce," Dylan commented as his sister gave a sigh of relief. Batman moved forward and used one of his machines to take the blood he needed from Ra's before letting him go again.

"You should have killed me." The man told him.

"Yes, he should have." Talia growled. "What kind of man sacrifices his own daughter?"

"Like you got room to talk," Taylor snorted, crossing her arms with a glare. "Who was the one telling him to kill your father just a few minutes ago?"

Talia ignored her and turned on Bruce. "And you. You lied to me. I thought you loved me, Bruce. I thought you were ready to join our crusade."

"Talia…" Batman tried to explain but she turned to walk away.

"Don't. You two deserve each other."

Taylor watched as the other woman walked away. Sure, she didn't like the thought of Bruce's ex-lover being in the mix, but she still felt…sorry for the woman. She was sure that things would have been different if…if she hadn't of been here…

"You're looking old, Ra's," Batman's voice grabbed her and she turned to the three men in the room again. "What's really going on here?"

"I have used the Lazarus Pit too many times," Ra's pushed himself into a sitting position. "I have lived 600 years. My mind and body cannot take much more. Each time I enter the pit I am frightened of what will come out." A look spread across his face that made Taylor's heart cry. The man was scared. Scared and miserable.

"The Lazarus pit has corrupted your mind. Think about it. If your pit falls into the wrong hands, you will be powerless to stop centuries of destruction." Batman told him. "This is your chance for redemption, Ra's. Call off your crusade or I'll be back for you." He turned and began to leave. Dylan followed him but Taylor paused, staring at Ra's for a moment.

She was too soft.

"Are you going to be all right?"

He gave a laugh. "I've heard a lot about you, Detective Carmichael. Breaking into the asylum to save your brother, and now breaking into the City to save Bruce Wayne. Not many would do that…" He closed his eyes. "You should hurry off. I'll be fine…just like I always am."

The woman still felt sorry for him, but did as he said and hurried after her brother and Bruce. They were talking to Oracle.

"_Did you find Ra's? Hold on, your suit's readings are back to normal. Are you cured? What's going on?"_

"Ra's and his forces are based underneath Arkham City, extracting some kind of occurring chemical he's called 'Lazarus'. He's been using it for centuries, slowly perfecting the process until he was even able to bring himself back from the dead."

"_And you took some? Taylor didn't, did she?"_

"Thanks for giving me some of that concern," Dylan grunted.

"No, she's fine. He forced only me to," Batman answered as Taylor laughed at her brother. "Small doses appear to heal most ailments, but even the small amount I ingested had a few nasty side effects. Prolonged exposure has driven Ra's over the edge."

"_So, do you think you're cured?"_

"No, the effects are temporary. Ra's tried to convince me to use his pit, but the risks are too great. When I'm done here, I'll need to investigate this Lazarus technology further. I told Ra's to shut his pit down."

~Maybe Victor could help with that,~ Taylor thought to herself. ~He might be interested in something like this…speaking of Mr. Freeze…~

"_And you think he will?"_

"Unlikely. Ra's is addicted to the pit. I've given him one chance to break that addiction or I'll be back to do it myself. Did Robin get you that blood sample?"

"_Yeah, he's down at Gotham General. It's going crazy there. I'll patch through."_

There was a pause before the other man's voice joined them.

"_Hey, Barb, am I glad to hear from you."_

"It's not just Barbra this time, Robbie," Taylor grinned as she greeted.

"_Ah, Taylor. Is Bruce all right."_

"Define 'all right'," Dylan replied. "We talking mentally or physically…?"

"What's happening there?" Batman asked him, shooting the other man a glare.

"_Bruce, it's not good. Gotham General has at least thirty confirmed cases, there are nearly fifty at Mercy and it's looking like the pattern repeats all over the city."_

"_I've run a simulation. Joker's blood could be in as many as 2000 people by the morning. The first fatalities are expected soon after that."_

"We're on our way back to Freeze right now. Hopefully the blood sample I extracted from Ra's will complete the formula." Batman told them.

"_I hope you're right,"_ Oracle sighed.

"_Good luck,"_ Robin told them.

"Well, before we go off on our next adventure," Dylan commented. "I have the need to use the facilities."

Taylor gave a small grin at the reminder of a certain moment just like this in Arkham Asylum and a hand on her hip as her brother slipped off for a moment. Things were silent, but not for long.

"Taylor, I want to apologize for…that." Batman told her. "I would have told you but it was a spur of the moment thing."

"Spur of the moment, huh? I'm sure that Talia didn't see it that way." She closed her eyes before turning and glancing at the man in leather behind her. "You know, you're one lucky son of a bitch."

He raised a brow, not understanding. "I am."

"Yeah, for having someone like me who's not going to get mad at you over something like that," She turned away from him, a small smile spreading across her lips. "Just don't let it happen again."

**Not that much longer now, guys! Five or so more chapters!**

**PLEASE REVIEW :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**You Can Trust Me**_

**To get out of Ra's death trap, all they had to do was backtrack through the sewers and the subway. **They were on their way back to Mr. Freeze but encountered more hostiles along the way, one of the groups sporting a jammer pack that drove Dylan crazy and into a beat down on them, before they finally reached the cold, crisp air of Arkham city. Hugo had given another announcement of Protocol 10 beginning in two hours but they had to worry about getting Freeze what he needed to make a cure. Then Hugo could be their problem.

Joker's men were chasing down Penguin's goons and trying to convince them to switch over or die. The trio put a quick end to that by knocking the shit out of them before continuing on their way.

~How much longer is this going to take?~ Taylor asked herself. ~We need to get the cure and then get it to Joker…Why am I so worried about him?~ Taylor was mainly worried for just four people in the city. Her brother, Bruce, Victor Fries, and the Joker. She would be able to keep all of them safe, wouldn't she?

"_Citizens of Arkham, as I speak, there is a new inmate entering my facility." _ Strange's voice decided to sound to them again.

"A new one?" Dylan tilted his head. "Oh God, please don't let it be Black Mask."

"_The more nostalgic among you will recognize him as Quincy Sharp, Mayor of Gotham and failed Warden of old Arkham Asylum. Please provide him with the welcome he deserves."_

"Not this douchebag again," Dylan sighed, hanging his head.

"_That doesn't sound good, does it?" _Oracle asked.

"Does it ever sound good?" Taylor sighed. "You know they're gonna try and kill him, right," She glanced at Batman. The Dark Knight sighed,

"_I don't get it. Why would Strange arrange for the Mayor to be sent here? Scrub that. How the hell did Strange even manage to have the Mayor arrested?"_

"Not that hard, Barbara," Dylan commented. "He took over everything in here, remember?"  
"Something tells me that we're not going to like the answers that we find from the old Warden, so shall we go ahead and get this over with?" Taylor offered up.

With Batman's tracker, it wasn't hard to find Sharp at all. He was in the middle of getting his ass beaten by a group of Joker's goons in the middle of a street but, just as always, the goons were nothing and Sharp was given to them as a helpless heap on the ground.

"So," Taylor leaned over the man. "What do you wanna do with him?"

Batman paused for a moment before a smile spread across his face.

…

…

…

"NO! PLEASE, NO!"

"Why don't you yell louder, Sharp?" Dylan offered, lighting a cigar as he grinned at the elder man. Batman was currently holding the Mayor of Gotham over the side of the building upside down by a single leg.

"I wanna know all about Strange," Batman growled. "And how you're tied into all this."

"I'll tell you everything! Strange came to me back at the Asylum. He told me he had friends; powerful friends. The sort of people who could make things happen. All I had to do was turn a blind eye to his experiments, and work on my campaign. He said his friends would ensure that I won!"

"Who are his friends?" Taylor asked, hands on her hips.

"I have no idea!" Sharp cried as Batman faked a drop. "I never met them. They funded everything. Money was no problem. All I had to do was set up Arkham City and put Strange in charge; it made perfect sense. The scum of Gotham needed to be punished. It would be my legacy."

"Strange has been removing anyone with evidence against him and sending them into Arkham City. Enjoy your legacy." Batman tossed Quincy aside. Dylan glared at the old man, thinking about all his friends that had died in the Asylum due to his events, and moved forward to give a little payback. Taylor knew that her brother wouldn't kill the old man so she turned to the conversation that Batman and Oracle were having.

"_Bruce, I'm seeing massive spikes on your suit's biometric analyzer. Your health…it…it doesn't look good." _Taylor felt her heart freeze.

"I just had a chat with our old friend Quincy Sharp. He confirmed that Strange is working with someone else. I'm going to find out who."

"_What are you talking about?"_

"We have to get to Victor, now!" Taylor told him.

"I will. I just need to-"

"_Taylor,"_ Oracle turned her attention to the detective. _"Can I trust you to get Bruce back to the G.C.P.D.? Now?"_

"No other course plotted in my mind, Barb." Taylor gave the man in leather a fierce look. "He ain't going anywhere else until then."

"_Thank god that you're there, Taylor."_

"Let's go," Batman went to say something, but She cut him off. "No arguing, Bruce. We're going to Victor and we're going now," She turned to her brother. "Ready, Dylan?"

"Yep," He took a bog puff of the cigar in his mouth before turning away from the bruised and bloody elder man on the ground. "The police building, right?"

"Yep yep."

"_Ring, ring," _Joker's voice made all three of them give a little jump about five minutes later. Dylan almost dropped his line launcher. _"What are you doing, Bats? I thought we were friends, working together and all that. You know, from where I'm lying, desperately clutching at what's left of my life, it seems like you've betrayed me and started working with the walking ice-box. And you, Agent Carmichael," _Taylor raised a brow. _"I thought we had something special?"_

Dylan rolled his eyes. "You attract some serious freaks, you know that?"

Taylor shook her head, trying to erase those horrid memories from years ago. "I try not to."

"_Two, or in this case three, can play at that game. Try and get back to that double-crossing snowman in the G.C.P.D. without me guys blowing your pointy head off. I double dare you."_

"If they haven't killed us yet, what does he think they're going to do now?" Dylan asked.

"Just ignore him," Taylor replied. "And let's get this blood to Fries. Even if he has his goons after him, Victor can handle himself."

"No doubt about that." Her brother nodded.

Freeze, indeed, was able to take care of himself and had locked Joker's goons out of the building. After beating all of the men up, Taylor showed them a secret way into the building, (she had worked there nearly ten years) and led the way to the office that Freeze had made his area.

"This is futile," Victor's voice reached them as he moved through the screen, looking at the files. Taylor remember helping him work on those not even a day ago.

"Victor," She called out with a smile, hurrying down the steps towards the man in the ice suit.

He turned to look at her. "Glad to see you are safe, Carmichael." He glanced over her head, as she gave him another huge smile, and looked at the man following her with a frown. "Impressive, Batman, I doubted you would actually return."

~And me and Taylor would?~ Dylan commented, crossing his arms. ~This guy's got head problems, I tell ya~

"I'm a man of my word, Victor," Batman commented, setting the blood sample down on the table. "You should know that by now."

Victor gave no reply and grabbed the vial before turning back and setting into some kind of machine. Taylor watched, worry spreading through her as he worked.

"Is it…is it what you needed?" She asked.

Victor glanced at her and gave a small smile. It made relief cover the worry and a large smile spread over her face as he moved away and did something with the two vials. ~Thank God~

"The formula is complete." Freeze told them. "The bonding process appears to have been successful." He turned, a blue vial in his hand and he faced the three of them.

"It took long enough," Dylan sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Now let's get this over with so we can beat up Joker and Strange and then get the hell out of here.

"How are you feeling?" Victor asked the man in tights. "You look unwell."

"Give it to me." Batman told him.

Victor shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot do that, Batman," Taylor's smile fell. "You have given me your last order." He squeezed the vial, shattering it.

"Victor! What are you doing?" The woman cried, staring at the blue liquid as it trailed from the man's hands.

"This is not a time for negotiation." Batman told him.

"I think it is." The Ice-man replied. "The clown has my wife. Bring her back to me."

"You don't want to do this, Freeze."

"Oh, I believe I do. You will bring me Nora, or you will die!"  
"Stop acting like a moron, Freeze," Dylan placed himself in front of Batman as the other man lifted up his Freeze-Ray. "You don't need to worry about your wife anymore. She's safe."

"And how do you know?"

Taylor glanced at the Ice-man. "We got her location out of a set of Joker's goons on the way here. She's in an abandoned Falcone warehouse." Her eyes still stared at the blue liquid on the ground now. The temperature of the room already froze it. "We sent Cash and a few others to beat the hell out of the Joker's men and protect her until you got there."

Victor opened his mouth to say something but closed it in silence, hanging his head. He felt guilty now. This woman had told him that she would find his wife for him and she had. Breaking that vial had been for nothing. Lifting his arm, he typed to code in and the vault opened again.

Batman moved for it immediately but froze when he found the back of the vault busted open and the vial gone with a little present from the Joker.

"It's over," Freeze hung his head. "That was all I could manufacture."

"Harley Quinn took it!" Batman growled, slamming the door shut.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go and get it back." Victor told him. "the clown must pay for what he has done to us."

"Coming from the man that just busted open on the vials?" Dylan snorted. "If we still had it, then Batman would be fine and we would have kicked his ass just fine." Taylor watched as the blue man hung his head even further but she said nothing.

"It's not that simple. Joker's got the Steel Mill locked down," Batman told him. "Getting in will not be easy."

Victor turned. "Perhaps I can help. I've been working on a new projectile system." He grabbed a few bomb-like things and handed them to Batman. "Maybe these will provide the edge you need."

"Thanks Freeze," Dylan snorted. "Now all we have to do is get to the other side of the damn city to get the shit back from Joker."

"Can it, Dylan!" Taylor growled as Batman and Dylan left. She sighed and glanced at Victor. He looked…ashamed.

"I am sorry, Detective Carmichael."

"Yeah, well…" There was nothing that she could really say. Joker would use that antidote the moment he got it; she knew he wasn't stupid enough not to. What were they going to do now…

"You said Falcone warehouse, correct?"

She nodded. "Yeah. She's safe, Victor, so go and get her, okay?"

Victor gave a nod and went to move past her but paused. "Thank you."

"Not a problem. Try not to do anything bad now and just keep your sights on healing her, okay? I'm sure she wouldn't like the thought of you being a criminal when she's free the live again."

Victor gave a small smile before reaching behind him. "Here." He grabbed her hand and dropped a small gun in her hand. "It's a last resort weapon. It only has a single charge in it, but it might turn into something useful in a last moment when you need some help."

Taylor stared at the small ice-gun before a soft smile spread across her lips. "Thanks, Victor. I'll bring it back."

"Keep it," The Doctor moved past her. "As a memento."

"A memento, huh?" she stared at it for a moment before shoving it in her empty gun case before taking off after Batman and her brother."

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	11. Chapter 11

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_**Always a Pain**_

"**Where did Bats go?"**

Dylan glanced back at his sister before turning back to readying the line launcher that he had taken from her earlier. "Vicki Vale, our dear nosy and foolish new reporter, had decided to invade Arkham city for the latest scoop and Joker had his men shoot her down."

"Oh Lord," Taylor sighed, shaking her head. "I hate reporters."

There had been four snipers to take down. By the time they reached the area, Batman had already taken care of them and that left the siblings to land near the blonde woman.

"You know, you're kind of an idiot for even coming in here."

Vicki Vale, in her black coat and blonde hair that Taylor had seen on the television earlier that night, turned to look at the other woman. "Coming from your mouth?"

"Hey, I had an important reason," The detective replied with a shrug. ~A reason that I found out wasn't necessary, but a reason none the less.~

"Yes, speaking of which, any luck in finding Bruce?"

"Well,"

"Wayne is safe," Batman saved the detective as he landed beside them. "And you should be to, as long as you stay here and keep out of sight."

"Working with the Batman again, eh Carmichaels?" Vicki smiled at the twins. She glanced at the Dark Knight again. "Any chance I could get an exclusive? Care to tell Gotham what's going on with your face?"

"No. Stay there and be quiet." Dylan gave a sigh and glanced off to the side…just to see the Mad Hatter pulling on his hat a few feet away from them. He gave another sigh. ~I'll never be able to get away from these freaks, will I?

"_Now, that's no way to talk to the nice reporter lady, Bats." _Joker decided to join the conversation.

"What do you want?"

"Who are you talking to?"

"No one important," Dylan replied. "So, tell me, how are things in Gotham?"

Batman turned from Vicki to talk to the lunatic, leaving Dylan to sidetrack the reported with questions from outside Arkham Asylum.

"_The poor woman's all confused. Hardly surprising, I suppose. I mean, she's just been in a terrible accident."_

"That you caused."

"_How dare you! I've never been so…oh what the hell? Yes, OK, it was me. I just needed a little time to guarantee that Harley got back to me with my delicious cure and, if you're a good boy, I may even save a little for you. It's unlikely, I know, but, I'm really your last hope now, aren't I?"_

Taylor gave a frown, trying to keep herself from letting her fears get the best of her. "Let's get out of here," She commented, leaving Vicki to continue talking to her radio. They hadn't gotten very far when Alfred decided to join them.

"_Good news, Master Bruce. I believe we have identified the cure. Mr. Fox has manufactured enough to heal you and is working on a larger batch for the people of Gotham. The Batwing has been dispatched and it should be within your vicinity shortly. I'm sure I don't need to remind you to not waste an time in taking it."_

"Have no fear, I'm sure Taylor's gonna shove it down his throat the moment we get it," Dylan commented.

"You got that right!" The woman replied.

Alfred gave a small chuckle. _"So…it seems that the secrets out?"_

"It appears so," Taylor replied. "And don't worry, Al. Me and you are gonna gave a long talk with Mr. B when we get out of here."

"_I'll be looking forward to it, ma'am."_

Dylan looked at the man in tights. "You're screwed, B."

Batman gave a sigh, hiding a laugh, before leading the way to their next part of this horrid mission.

The Batwing found them in no time at all, dropping a container down for Batman with the cure. Dylan turned, keeping watch and Taylor watched as Batman injected the fluid into his neck.

"Does it make you feel better?" She asked him.

"I'm not…sure…" He stumbled a bit before leaning forward on the canister.

"Bruce?" Taylor took a step closer just in time as he fell over; she grabbed him and gently placed him on the ground. "Bruce!"

"Screaming in his ear isn't gonna help," Dylan told his sister. "Just calm down." He glanced at her. "Besides, you need a little rest, too. You look like you got your ass kicked."

Taylor sighed. "It's not as bad as the Asylum was. If you think about it, we've been traveling more than fighting. In the Asylum, there were more fights."

"That's because it was an Asylum, not a City. Sharp was a moron for even making this damn place."

Taylor gave a silent agreement before wrapping her arms around her legs. She was tired and sore. There was nothing that she wanted more than to just go back home, take a hot bath to wash all this grim and dirt off of her before she curled up in her bed to sleep it all away, but she couldn't leave yet. Her missions, this time, was to save Bruce. She might had found him, but he wasn't safe yet. She couldn't leave until he left with her.

That led her to thinking about what would happen after all of this was over. Would…would she and Bruce still be together? And if they were, would she be able to handle him going off and doing all of this over and over again like he normally does?

~Don't worry about that~ She told herself. ~All you need to worry about is what is happening here and now, not what will happen in the future. Everything will be just fine…~

They sat in silence for half an hour. Taylor had felt herself slipping into a small doze when Batman's movement, his head in her lap, pulled her away from it. She jerked her eyes open immediately.

"Are you all right?!"

Dylan turned from his outlook to watch as the man in tights sat up, holding his head. "Well, he's not dead so I say the cure worked."

Taylor moved to look at his face. The infection was still there, she could see it, but she could see that it was fading away. Slowly, but his eyes were already returning to their blue state. She felt like she was going to cry. She had been so close to losing him. So close…

Batman gave a small smile as the woman shoved herself into his chest, squeezing him with her arms. Hugging her back, one hand n her back the other her head, he closed his eyes. He had been a little worried himself. He hadn't liked the thought of leaving Taylor behind after all that they had gone through together this last year. It wasn't often that he found a woman that could put up all this shit as much as he could; in fact, this G.C.P.D. Detective just might be the only one.

"Sorry to break this sweet moment up," Dylan stepped forward. "But we still gotta take care of Joker. You may have gotten a cure, Batman, but Joker doesn't know that. If we don't go and take care of him now, he might just do something really effing stupid; like always."

"Yes," Batman nodded and stood up, pulling Taylor with him. "I agree."

"Always a pain," Taylor cursed under her breath as she pulled back from Batman's warm body.

"Always." He nodded in agreement, a large smile on his face.

Joker was inside Sionis Mill. The original entrance was blocked from them so they had to find another way inside through a door that was guarded by more of Joker's goons.

Taylor froze at the sight of the water that seemed to be their next path through the mill. "Do we really have to do this?" She asked. "Can't we just…"

"Not afraid of a little water, are you?" Dylan teased his sister as Batman tossed out one of the Freeze Blast's that Victor had given to him.

"No, it's not that," She replied, looking at the raft-like object. It would hold all three of them but it was going to be close quarters.

Batman whipped out the Batclaw to grab onto the large metal rings in the area and pull them in the correct path that they needed to go on. It was quickly over when they found a vent to continue on their journey.

"_I just heard from my dad," _Oracle joined them. _"He's been summoned to City Hall. Strange is requesting that Emergency Protocol Ten is activated."_

"Does Gordon know what Protocol Ten is?" Batman asked.

"_Just that it's the worst case security measure. Strange told the High Council he had failed to stem the use of illegal weapons within the prison."_

"Weapons that he provided?" Dylan grunted, listening to all of this.

"Well, I guess we know what he wanted to do all along now," Taylor commented.

"_It seems so. He made it look like the inmates were planning a mass escape and attack on Gotham. I'll keep you posted."_

Going through the mill was full of fighting baddies and finding clear paths through to get to the Joker. Word was floating around that Joker looked healed, finally, and it made Taylor smile a bit. Victor's cure worked after all.

"_Good evening, troops. This is General J with a quick update on what's going on down here in Arkham City. As you can see, I'm looking much better. In fact…I think I'm looking better than ever! Oh, I can hear you all now. 'How did this happen?' 'Can I get some of that crazy cure?' 'I want answers, damn it! Now!'" _Taylor shook her head, staring at the screen as the lunatic continued. _"Well, here's this thing. Answers don't give you everlasting satisfaction. Sometimes you need to brace yourself for disappointment. Think about it. Imagine your favorite TV show. You've been through it all. The ups, the downs, the crazy coincidences, and then: Bang! They tell you what it's all about. Would you be happy? Does it make sense? How come it all ended in a church? You guys just need to know one simple thing. I'm back. Back for good. Now arm yourselves, boys. We're got a prison break to plan. No hostages. No surrender. Oh, I know. It sounds like suicide, but listen. Whatever happens, I'll be right behind you."_

"Fucking quack," Dylan grunted, moving from the room. Taylor shorted with laughter as Batman fought a grin of his own.

They saved one of Two-Face's men from torture in the next path; before knocking him out as well when he attacked.

Going through a few more water rides as they dodged drills and whatnot, Taylor found herself a little bored out of her mind as Oracle gave them her next update.

"_I hacked into the Council CCTV. The council members are coming back. They don't look happy. They're telling Strange that they're disappointed in him, that they never believed Protocol Ten would need to be activated."_

"But they gave him permission, didn't they?" Batman growled. Strange then gave an announcement of Protocol Ten beginning in 30 minutes.

"We need to hurry up and get this shit with Joker done so we can go take care of Strange," Dylan commented.

They ran into Stacy Baker again soon after that. She went to hit them with a pole but found it to be Batman and dropped to her knees, saying she was sorry. She informed them that Joker's men were placing things on the floor in the next room. She didn't know what they were.

"Mines?" Taylor tilted her head to the side as Baker ran off to hide again.

"It appears so." Batman nodded. "We'll have to be careful."

"Please, I'm always careful!" Dylan commented.

There were men in the next room. They had to place their attacks carefully but they were all soon wiped out, leaving Joker to make more of his lousy commented like he had in the Asylum. After that, they moved into the next room. Dylan hid in a box that took him behind the sniper and he took care of him quickly, leaving Taylor to find the next surprise.

The woman smiled as she stared at the blonde woman in front of her. "It's like an early Christmas present!" She then frowned. "Dammit! I wanted to beat her up again for that kick she gave me earlier!"

Harley Quinn was all tied up and gagged, just waiting on them. Batman ungagged her. "Well, look who it is. What do the three of you want? Come to stick the knife in some more? Well go on then, I don't care. I'm not telling you nothin'! I'm not even going to tell you about the crap Joker took from Freeze and locked up in the boiler room."

"Thanks sweetheart," Dylan winked at her.

She glared at them. Batman gagged her again.

"I wonder who did that," Taylor commented as they continued on their way.

"With how annoying she can be, it's not that hard to imagine. I wouldn't be surprised if Joker ordered it himself."

The stolen property turned out to be the Freeze Cluster Grenades and they turned out to be huge help against some of Joker's final goons. Hopefully they would be big help against the J-man as well.

As they entered the Joker's room, they instantly noticed the arrows on the floor leading them to the next room.

"Talk about Déjà vu," Dylan shook his head. He turned from the other two as he made sure his weapons were ready.

"Taylor," Batman began.

She held up a hand, shaking her head. "If this is another pursuit to make me and my brother pull out and leave you here on your own, you're crazy. We still have Strange to deal with, remember?"

Batman gave her a smile. "Are you all right?"

She gave a sigh. "Again, as good as I can be." Taylor answered. "Everything will be back to normal after all of this is over; hopefully. I don't know if you can call my boyfriend being Batman normal but it's what I got." They shared a chuckle before Taylor hung her head, covering a yawn.

"You must be tired,"

"Completely, but so are you and so is Dylan. I'm not gonna be a pansy and stop here so let's get this show over with; again."

Moving in through the door, they found Joker before a mirror, reapplying…lipstick? That had been something that Taylor had not been expecting; at least not first-hand.

"What's up, Jerk wad?" Dylan called out, coming to a stop.

Joker gave a laugh and backed up, fixing his bowtie as Taylor slapped a hand to her face. "Manners cost nothing, Carmichael. Even your dear sister seems to think so. A simple hello wouldn't go amiss." He turned to face them with a laugh of his. "It looks like I need to teach you some respect." He jumped down to face them.

"There's nothing you can teach us, Joker." Batman replied, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on. There's always something to learn. Let's start with 'Getting your ass kicked 101'." Taylor gave a snort, trying to cover her laughter. Joker laughed with her. "Even the detective here seems to agree. Seconds out!"

Dylan turned to look at his sister. Taylor flushed. "What? It was funny."

"Just you and me, Batman."

The twins let Batman and Joker go out it, seeming as how three to one in a fist fight was just…too much. They did keep a lookout for others, though, but so far, nothing. It didn't take very long, though.

"Please…stop! I can't take anymore. You win! You beat me. Hang on, did I say me? I meant me…and these guys!" Joker threw his hand out and a bunch of his goons popped out to join the fight from the two trains that were above them.

"That's what I was waiting for." Dylan growled, jumping into the fray.

Taylor, tightening her grip on the rod Dylan had given her, joined in too, trying her hardest to knock each man out with a single hit. It worked a couple of times but a few of them had to receive a bit more. She did soon find herself in front of the main man of the hour, though. She easily knocked him to the ground.

"Come on, Joker," She told him, standing over him with a hand on her hip. "You know as well as I do that this isn't going to work. Knock it off before we make-"  
Her next words were lost as the Titan Mutant dropped down behind her. She felt the impact of the mutant's hand on her back and then the impact of the wall as she was flung over Joker and into it.

"TAYLOR!" Batman and Dylan both cried out together as Joker rolled over to his knees to look at the damage. She didn't move.

"Oh, you big idiot!" Joker roared, jumping to his feet and hitting Mr. Hammer. "You weren't supposed to attack the girl! Only the men!"

Dylan's roar cut him off as he jumped on the mutant's back. Joker didn't get to see what happened because Batman took him out from the side with a roar of his own.

"What are you waiting for?" Joker asked, staring up at the Dark Knight.

"Bats, look out!" Dylan cried. The railroad above them was crashing down on top of them. Both men dodged out of the way but a huge chunk fell on the B-Man. Dylan gave a cry of pain himself, having large cement fall on his legs. He struggled to move it but al this fighting finally caught up to his arms, telling him that he needed to regain his strength before he could move again. Gasping for air, he turned his head to See Batman covered chest down and then, gladly, saw that Taylor was still sprawled out by the wall, none of the roof or train tracks on top of her.

"Any last requests?" Joker's voice grabbed the ex-marine and he turned to find the crazed man with a knife in his hand as he pinned Batman's one free arm to the ground. "How about a joke?"

"Take it and shove it, Joker," Dylan grunted. "We all know your jokes suck anyway."

"Don't worry, Carmichael. I'll get to you next. And don't worry about your sister, either. I'll take good care of her." Joker laughed at the curses that Dylan then shot out of him. "So, Batman, you want that joke?"

"How about a trade?" The woman's voice grabbed them all and they turned to see Talia walking towards them. "Let him go. Take me in his place."

"I'll handle the jokes around here." Joker growled, standing up.

"Talia, what are you doing?" Batman demanded. He was ignored.

"I represent the great Ra's al Ghul. Head of the Demon, master of the League of Assassins."

"Well, bully for you."

"Free Batman and we will give you the secret of immortality." She told him.

"Are you stupid?" Dylan asked her.

"He'll be unstoppable!" Batman grunted.

Joker turned to look at him, foot on his chest. "What? You mean she's telling the truth?" Talia held her sword out to him and he walked towards her. "Immortal?"

"Do we have a deal?" Joker grabbed the sword.

"NO!" Batman cried out, struggling to move the cement off of him.

"Oh, just up!" Joker kicked him in the face. He then turned to Talia. "After you, my dear."

"We offered you this chance, Batman." Talia told the Dark Knight. "Now follow your heart."

"Oh, that reminds me," Joker turned from the woman and glanced at the one still knocked out by the wall. "I shall be taking my other prize…"

"Leave my sister alone!" Dylan growled, trying to move but he seemed to have no strength is his body left.

"You have no strength to tell me otherwise, Carmichael," Joker laughed. He picked the limp body up from the ground with one hand and tossed her over his shoulder. "But if you want her back, you'll know where to find me."

"Wha?" Dylan shook his head. He hadn't known the Joker was THAT strong. "Joker, don't you take her!" He gave a laugh as he followed Talia out the door. "JOKER!" He leaned back down on the ground, smashing his fist against it. "God dammit!"

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	12. Chapter 12

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**Protocol 10**_

"**Well, what do we have here?"**

Dylan must have dozed off for a moment because when he opened his eyes, he found a woman in black leather standing over him with a grin.

"Selina? What are you doing here?"

Catwoman gave a large grin. "Saving you, apparently. Poor little man. Do you need a kitten's help?"

Dylan gave a frown. Selina Kyle, AKA Catwoman, was one hell of a sexy woman and she normally set his skin on fire but now was not the time to let those feelings take over. "Though there are many answers that I could give to you, now is not the time. Another time, another place, maybe."

Catwoman smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." A sigh of relief flooded out of Dylan's mouth ass the cement was push off of him. He stumbled to his feet and then gave another sigh of relief that his legs were still usable. "So Joker beat your asses, did he?"

Dylan gave a grunt. "He got lucky when the roof fell in." He glanced over at where Taylor had been lying and gave a growl. "I'm gonna rip that damn smile right off of his face."

"Then help me save him first." Catwoman called. Dylan turned to see that Batman was regaining his conscious as well and he hurried over to help the woman with the blocks on him. Batman stumbled to his feet.

"Figured you could use my help." Catwoman smiled.

"You're right. I think I chipped a nail back there." The Dark Knight replied.

"You stick with the brooding, I'll handle the wisecracks." She turned to move away. "I guess we know what Protocol Ten is now, right? If you're planning on stopping it, you need to hurry." She turned to walk away. "Oh, and Carmichael, Ivy was looking for you."

Dylan gave a grunt. "Oh Lord," He shook his head as he moved towards the exit. "I already have enough to worry about right now."

Batman followed after him as Catwoman disappeared again. "Oracle, Strange is launching missile strikes on Arkham City from Wonder Tower. You shut this place down; Joker's taken Taylor and Talia. We're going after them."

"_You can't. Hundreds will be killed. I need your help to stop the attack."_

"He'll kill both of them!"

"_You need to think this through. Batman can't let all these people die." _Alfred replied. Dylan bit his bottom lip. He didn't like to think about it, but…

Batman ignored him. "My tracker's not activating. Re-route all Wayne-Tech satellites to boost the signal."

"_I can't do that. I realize it is difficult, sir, but you need to decide if two lives are worth sacrificing to save a thousand?" _

"Don't do this, Alfred."

"_Batman must save Gotham. I'm sorry, but deep down, you know I'm right."_

Dylan glanced at the man beside him. "I'd go after Joker but I wouldn't know where to go. You have the tracker, not me. Don't worry, though. Taylor and Talia will be fine. Joker won't do anything to Taylor and she'll keep his distracted long enough to keep Talia safe until we get there; if we move quickly and take care of Strange."

Batman let his words settle and nodded. "Oracle, do not lose Talia's signal. Ok, the tower's locked down. No way in without the codes. One of the choppers will be carrying the master control program. I just need to find that chopper."

"You'll be looking for Chopper 117," Dylan told him. Batman glanced at him. "I was moved to TYGER, remember? Trust me on this." He glanced up at the sky at all the choppers in the sky before giving a sigh, trying not to watch the city be destroyed. "You have fun jumping between the choppers. I'll meet you at the Tower, got it?"

Batman nodded. Dylan didn't have the utilities to hop between chopper to chopper, since Taylor still had her batclaw, so he would be no help there. "Get there quick and safely."

"Will do."

Batman watched him take off on the zipline before turning his head to the choppers. "117…"

Dylan was waiting at the Wonder Tower entrance, taking a seat on top of a duo of snipers that had been guarding the door. "Got them?"

"Mastermind," Batman replied, knocking the code in. the doors pulled open.

"Good. I don't have time to play. Let's kick this guy's ass and save my freakin' sister!"

If these two men had been traveling though the city the entire night, you wouldn't have known that by the speed the two of them were going; even outside when they hand to jump up the rest of the tower. They hadn't even really stopped to pay attention to Strange when he pulled himself up on screen to talk to them. Dylan knocked the door down and led the way through, not caring about the men there or what Strange had been saying on the screen. Their mind was set on getting his over with so they could save Taylor…and Talia.

At the top of the tower they reached the control center and had to climb through a vent on the right that led them to the area that Strange had shielded himself inside a ballistic proof room in the center. There were men waiting on them, but they were taken down as easily as before.

"Oh Strange," Dylan called out with a demonic grin on his face as Batman began to hack the security panel. "You and I have to have a talk."

"I am the new leader of Gotham. I am its future."

"The only future you have, pal, is my foot up your ass when I get in there!" The ex-marine growled. "I could be saving my sister right but now you had to pull this shit to where I had to take care of you first! Not get the fuck out here so I can finish you and go save Taylor!"

"Understand this: You cannot defeat me. I am untouchable." Dylan opened his mouth to reply but it turned into a large grin when the doors pulled open, leaving the man in the white coat free to contact. "You have not won. You cannot win. I, Hugo Strange, am your successor. I have saved Gotham."

"Saved it?" Dylan reached forward and grabbed the man by the back of his neck before slamming his face into the window; his blood splattered from his nose. "Does that look like you saved it!"

"Oracle, shut this place down." Batman ordered from behind them, giving the woman intro to Hugo's computers.

"_My pleasure."_

"You've ruined everything!" Hugo cried, holding his nose as the blood continued to fall. Batman grabbed the man and threw him across the room, slamming him into another set of his computers. Dylan watched, crossing his arms. "Get your hands off me." Batman had grabbed the man again and followed what Dylan had done, slamming his face against the window.

"Look at what you've done!"

The entire city was on fire from the missiles on the choppers. Dylan didn't know how many were still alive but he did know that many had died.

"It's glorious, isn't it?" Hugo chuckled.

"All you guys are fuckin' psychos!" Dylan roared. "Dammit, Bruce! Why? Why do you attract them so fuckin' much?" The computer gave off a noise and Dylan turned to find that it announce Protocol 10 was deactivated.

Batman tossed the man aside. "You're finished, Strange."

"I have powerful friends, Batman." Hugo stood up. "This is just the beginning. You cannot stop me. Soon, I will command forces beyond your comprehension. I have achieved what the great Batman could never do. Gotham will forever thank Hugo…Strange?"

"Holy shit!" Dylan jumped back in shock as a sword was shoved through the older man's chest. Blood poured out everywhere and Hugo fell forward as it was removed, revealing Ra's al Ghul standing there, sheathing his blade.

"Your part in this is over, Professor Strange." Ra's told him.

"Why?" Hugo gasped. "I did everything you wanted."

"Indeed," Ra's walked towards the window, hands folded behind his back. "You clearly demonstrated that Batman is better than you; his friends, too." Batman hurried to Hugo, trying to stop his bleeding but nothing helped. "Let him die, Detective."

"He was your puppet, Ra's. Why?"

"Don't you know the stories?" Dylan asked the Dark Knight. "In the end, all the puppets die."

"Indeed." Ra's nodded in agreement.

"You said I could replace you…" Hugo gasped. "This was…our vision."

"And you failed to see it through." Ra's sneered.

"But…"

"When you came to be with Batman's identity, I gave you this chance to prove your worth, providing you with limitless resources for your plan. You came close, but you have failed me."

"He's going to die, Ra's. He needs medical attention: now!" Batman growled. Dylan knelt down on his other side, getting his own look of the wound.

"Do as you wish, Detective. He is already dead to me."

"I'm so close…" Hugo continued. "Just give me more time."

"Too late," Ra's replied. "I don't give second chances." He turned to the three men. "This is a good day, Detective. For you and your friend." He referred to Dylan.

"Good?" Dylan repeated in anger.

"People are dying!" Batman held the same tone.

"The world will not miss them, why should you?" Ra's turned back to the scene beneath them. "Look at my work. You may have defeated Strange but this, this is just the beginning. Come with me, we will wipe this world clean."

"I don't think so," Dylan growled, standing to his feet. If Ra's decided to attack, he would be ready for him.

"You're wrong, Ra's," Batman shook his head. "You've become what you've always fought against, and I will stop you."

The man laughed. "I doubt it."

"Computer…" Hugo was losing his strength even more now. "Activate…Protocol…11…"

"What are you doing?" Ra's whipped around and demanded.

Dylan exchanged looks with Batman. "Oh, that doesn't sound good."

"Pass…code:…Wayne."

"It's a bomb!" Dylan cried as the countdown on the screen began.

"No!" Ra's cried.

"_GET OUT OF THERE!" _Oracle yelled at them.

"Through the window!" Dylan roared. There was no other way to get out of there fast enough. Besides, Batman would help him, he knew that.

Following the Dark Knight, he was higher up in the air to watch as Batman tried to save Ra's al Ghul but the man stabbed himself with his sword to get at the man in tights, but Batman let him go and grabbed Dylan instead. They both watched as he fell on top of a gate. Dylan was scared out of his mind but when he and Batman placed their feet safely on a roof again, he dropped to his knees and took huge, deep breaths to calm himself down.

"_Bruce, Dylan, are you two OK? The tower just exploded."_ Oracle cried.

"We noticed." Batman replied.

"_Is Dylan…"_

"I'm here, sweetheart," Dylan called to her.

"_Thank God," _She sounded so relieved.

"Ra's al Ghul was the power behind Hugo Strange. This whole place was part of his plan."

"_You're kidding? Where is he now?"_

"Uh…I don't think you want the answer to that," Dylan replied, staring at the body hanging off of the gate about twenty feet in front of them.

"_Hello! Is anyone there?"_

"Joker!" Dylan growled. He'd recognize that voice anywhere now.

"I'll get back to you," Batman told the woman. "Something's come up."

Joker popped up on the tilted screen before them. He was standing outside the theatre, _"Hello, Batman. I know you can hear me. I've not caught you and Carmichael at a bad time, have I? I was worried that you two had forgotten about little old me. Take a look at your girlfriend,"_ Talia popped up on screen. They could see Taylor's body in the background in the arms of one of Joker's goons. She was still out of it. That blow from the mutant AND the wall must have been worse than Dylan thought. _"Who, as you can see, is in danger of having her pretty little brains splattered all over this camera." _He held a gun to her head.

"_Ignore him, beloved. Let him die!" _Talia growled.

"_Oh, how romantic. Only problem is, I've never felt better, and we both know, you really can't ignore me. Can you? So, listen, Batman, I'm putting on a little show for you and the detective's dear brother. It's going to be a doozy. A real red carpet affair. You'd better hurry though, if you take too long, the leading lady may be found dead in her dressing room."_

Dylan gave a frown. "Obviously, Joker doesn't know that you and Taylor have a thing, not you and Talia anymore." He glanced at the man beside him. "So if Talia's the one he's threatening, then what is it he plans to do with Taylor?"

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure you're gonna like it." Batman replied.

"He's not planning on turning her into another Harley, is he?" Dylan demanded. At no answer, he glared at the screen again. "Oh, I'm gonna kill this fucker!"

Batman watched as Dylan began to make his way to the theater before following after him. ~Don't worry, we'll save them. Both of them~

**Two more chapters left, guys!**

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	13. Chapter 13

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**The Final Act**_

"**Where's my sister, dammit!" **Dylan wasted no time to demand Taylor's return when they entered the theater. A glare of hatred was placed on his face when it was just joker and Talia before them at the screen. Taylor was nowhere to be seen. "Where is she, Joker!"

"Don't worry, Taylor's all right! Now hurry up and take your seats." He held a gun out to Talia's head. "The show's about to begin."

"Let's just talk about this," Batman began when Talia was forced to her knees.

Joker gave a chuckle. "Now you want to talk? Too late, Batman! Give me the cure!"

"But you already took it," Dylan commented. "Harley stole it…" That's when it hit Dylan. Why they had found Harley tied up like she was. But who would…his answer was given the moment that Talia whipped around and freed herself from Joker, taking her sword and –

"Talia, NO!"

-Stabbed the man in the purple suit.

"Holy shit!" Dylan looked at Talia before bending down to get a better look at the man on the ground.

"Problem solved," Talia wiped her hands clean.

Batman stared at the body as well. "You didn't need to…"

"Why?" Talia cut him off. "You would never do it. You left me no choice."

"There's always a choice."

Talia pulled the cure out. "I had to save you. Harley Quinn stole it for him. I took it back. It's over."

"But we already had him cured," Dylan replied. "Alfred had given it to him already."

Talia looked shocked. "What?"

"Yeah, Alfred had-"

"Look out!" A voice cried out from behind them. Dylan, recognizing the voice, turned just in time for the bullet to penetrate Talia's body.

Batman caught her as Joker's laugh went off. "I'm sorry, beloved. I didn't know…" the cure fell from her hands.

"Encore! More! Bravo! What do you think, dear?"

"I think you're nuts!"

"Aww, I love you, too."

Dylan gave a look of relief at the sight of his sister in the top seats with Joker. She was tied with her hands behind her back and a foul look on her face as she sat there with the true, still sick Joker, but at least she was okay.

"How you doing, Taylor?" He called up to her.

She glared at him. "How do you think?"

"It was never you." Batman growled, turning to look at his enemy.

"Not always. Well, sometimes." Joker gave another cough. "Confusing, isn't it? I know I'd want to know just what the hell is going on if I were you. Let's just say, at times like these, it's important to keep up appearances." Dylan winced as Joker coughed some more, leaning on the railing. He may have been the villain, but even Dylan was starting to feel bad for the state this psycho was in. "But first, if you would be so kind." He pointed to gun down at them. "Hand. Over. My. Cure."

"Guys, behind you!" Taylor cried out. "It's Clayface!"

Dylan whipped around in time to see the 'Joker' that Talia had 'killed' grab the cure vial and transform into the large, orange creature that Taylor had just called out.

"Ladies and gentleman. For one night only, standing in for yours truly, and doing a damn find job of it, I give you…Clayface!" Joker laughed.

"You weren't even supposed to be in here, Karlo. Why sing up with Joker?" Batman demanded, setting Talia's body aside.

"Easy," Clayface's right hand turned into a hammer-like object. "The role of a lifetime!" the two men dodged it and Batman wiped his face.

"One…last…chance."

"Oh, lighten up, Bats." Joker laughed. "The final act's just starting and it's a doozy!"

Taylor remembered seeing this guy behind a wall in the Asylum when they saved Quincy Sharp. She had to admit that she was more scared of him now that he was free than she had been seeing him locked up.

"Don't you think that now's a good time to stop?" Taylor asked, pulling on the rope tying her hands together. "Before something even worse happens?"

"My dear, why stop now? It's just getting good."

"Of course it is," Taylor sighed. She watched as the two men below had horrible trouble with Clayface. She hated just sitting up here, hands tied or not, and doing nothing to help. What could she-

And that's when it hit her. Jumping up to her feet, chair still hanging on to her and everything, she placed a foot on the railing and hopped over. She made sure to land on the chair; the impact hurt a little but it broke the chair to pieces where she could pull her tied hands over her feet and be able to use them. Reaching for her gun holster, she grabbed the small freeze ray that Victor had given her before they separated. She took a steady aim, waiting for the right moment, and fired. She hit Clayface right in the, well, face, and the ice spread all over his body, locking him in place.

"That was genius, Taylor!" Dylan cried to his sister, pulling out a knife and freeing her hands from the rope.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad, wasn't it?" She grinned, glad to have her hands freed and to be back with her brother and Batman.

With Clayface frozen now, Batman had grabbed Talia's sword and cut the creature to pieces.

"You're making me late for my spa treatment!" Joker complained. "I mean, it's not like you've got a girl to save anymore, is it? Oh, I'm sorry. Too soon?"

"What are you, chopped liver?" Dylan glanced at his sister.

"Well, I'm not actually one that needs protection."

"You were just kidnapped."

"Only because I was unconscious."

"Still kidnapped."

"Shut it, Dylan!"

Joker blew up the theatre floor, sending Batman below with Clayface to the Lazarus Pit they had met Ra's al Ghul in. As she and Dylan followed the Dark Knight down she was going to make a comment about where the said man was but didn't get to it as Clayface joined them again, back to normal.

"Would you happen to have any more of that freeze gun?" Dylan asked his sister.

She frowned. "I'm afraid not. It was a one shot only thing from Freeze. Meant for a last resort. Maybe I should have saved it."

"Not at all," Batman shook his head with that angry glare still on his face. "Now I know what to do."

Taylor had almost forgotten that Freeze had given Batman some ice grenades from before, and that they had found more in the Mill. Working together, like always, Taylor and Dylan distracted Clayface as Batman used the grenades to freeze him again. It was taking a whole hell of a lot longer than the gun had and Clayface grew smart. He created small versions of himself to deal with the twins while he kept his eyes all on Batman. The mini-Clayface's that were spread throughout the area were a bigger problem than the regular goons that had fought through the night were. As the mud-like substance from one of them was wiped all over her face, Taylor had a shiver spread through her back as she rubbed as much of it off as she could, trying not to get sick.

"Stop being a pansy, Taylor. Everything's almost over."

"Shut up, Dylan!" Now was not the time for her brother and his comments.

Clayface was soon frozen again, and Batman dove into his open mouth to grab the cure before cutting his way back out with Talia's sword.

"Bruce," Taylor hurried to him. "Are you all right?" She asked. "Alfred's cure worked, right?"

He wanted to smile, wanted to grab that woman before him and pull her in his arms, but he just…couldn't. "Yes. The cure worked. Now we just need to-"

"Get out of my way, Bats!" Joker cried down at them. "I've got a date with immortality."

Joker went to drop down into the Lazarus Pit but Batman grabbed the sword and tossed it up, knocking that contraption that Joker was standing on. It swung down and knocked Clayface into the pit instead, making an explosion go off. Batman knocked Taylor out of the way and took the blunt of the force but was glad to see that the vial was still safely in his hands when he stood up again.

"Quick, the cure!" Joker's voice cried. Dylan looked all over for him, but he couldn't find him. "What are you waiting for? C'mon! I killed your girlfriend, poisoned Gotham, and hell…it's not even breakfast."

"Joker, that's not the right things to be saying right now." Taylor commented from tight lips.

"So what? We all know he'll save me."

Batman stared down at the vial in his hand. "Every decision you've ever made ends with death and misery. People die. I stop you. You'll just break out and do it again." Taylor hung her head; Dylan did too.

Joker sounded so horrible as he coughed some more. "Think of it as a running gag…" Joker jumped in from nowhere, stabbing a knife into Batman's right arm. It made the man drop the vial in his hand. "NO!" Joker was tossed off to the ground and he got up, moving quickly to try and lick the cure up from the floor but there was no hope. He glared at Batman. "Are you happy now?"

Taylor knew that Joker was evil. He was a monster. That it was his fault that he no longer had a cure. But still, she felt sorry for the man in purple. She still didn't like the thought of anyone dying; Talia included.

"Do you want to know something funny?" Batman began. "Even after everything you've done, I would have saved you."

Joker began to give off his laugh and coughs as he fell back onto the floor. "That actually is…pretty funny…" He gave out a few more wretched coughs and his breathing was getting rougher. "Anna, oh Anna…" He then called out in a small tune.

Batman and Dylan both looked confused out of their minds but Taylor knew who Anna was. It was that woman Joker had told her about before.

_Taylor's hands covered her mouth in horror. "What…what happened to you! Oh, god, Joker…" Her heart lurched. "You poor thing."_

_"Poor thing?" Joker gave off another laugh before being riddled with coughs. She wanted to move to him, hold him as he trembled but she couldn't move herself. He straightened up, breathing hard. "I…I have been plagued with dreams over the last six months," He told her. "Of you. Of her. It seems that running into you brought back many memories of her." He glanced at her. "Are you plagued with dreams of me as much as I am with you?"_

_Taylor wasn't going to answer that question. "Who are you talking about?"_

_Joker turned from her and leaned his forehead against the cool glass. "Anna."_

Tears swelling up, Taylor knelt down beside the dying man. Joker turned and placed his head in her lap, that smile still on his face. "There you are, Anna."

"Y-yeah…I'm here."

"I had been wondering when I…would get to see you again…have you been waiting on me all this time?"

Taylor didn't know what to do. She wasn't Anna but she still felt like…maybe making him…happy in his…final moments was the best thing to do. "Of course, J." She told him, trying to keep her tears from falling.

"I hope it wasn't…too long."

"No…no it wasn't. And it…it never will be."

"That's good." He closed his eyes. "You know, I never got to ask you…"

She closed her eyes. "Ask me what?" She waited for a response, but it never came. He went still and his hard breathing came to a stop, his coughing disappearing. "Joker?" She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a soft shake but there was no response. Taylor felt the tears breakout. She closed her eyes again before pulling the lifeless form into her arms.

Taylor didn't like the thought of death. It always made her sad but when it came to criminals like Joker, she normally felt peace at the thought of no more victims to their cruel ways. Joker had tortured and killed so many people but here she was, crying over him. If she had heard of his death over the news she was sure that she wouldn't cry. If she had decided not to jump into Arkham City, or even Arkham Asylum, she wouldn't have even met the Joker. But she had. She had and he had died here, lying in her arms. Did crying for him make her…stupid?

A hand was placed on her shoulder and she turned her head to find Dylan behind her, His face was blank but his touch calmed her down. Turning back around, She let go of Joker's body as Batman lifted it away from her before turning to lead the way out of Arkham City and back into Gotham.

The look on Harley's face when she saw Joker in Batman's arms made Taylor feel even worse. She hung her head, trying her hardest not to cry anymore as she and Dylan followed the Dark Knight to the entrance of Arkham City. They weren't attack again. She wasn't sure if it was from Joker's lifeless form in Batman's hands or from the attack on the city from the TYGER choppers, but she was glad they weren't. Now was not the time for an attack. She paused at the sight of the police cars waiting for them. Gordon's mouth dropped open at the sight of Joker.

"What the hell happened in there?" He asked. Batman ignored him as he placed Joker on the hood of one of the cars and walked off. "Batman? What happened?" He continued to walk. "Bat-" He was cut off when Taylor placed a hand on his shoulder. He fell silent as they all watched the Dark Knight disappear into what was left of the night.

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	14. Epilogue

**I OWN NOTHING FROM THIS GAME! ONLY TAYLOR AND DYLAN ARE MINE!**

_**Epilogue**_

**~This better be worth it.** If Dylan turns out to be right, I'm gonna be pissed!~

Getting out of her car, Taylor took a deep breath before walking up to the door. She rang the doorbell once, twice, waiting for an answer. She received nothing.

Again.

Giving a sigh, Taylor turned to leave again before pausing. ~No,~ She told herself. ~I'm not going to take this. Not anymore, dammit! I'm not going to let him hide from me!~

Whipping back around, Taylor returned to the door to Wayne Manor and began to pound; hard and loud.

It had been over a month since the events at Arkham City and not one word from Bruce since. She heard from Tim, from Barbara, hell, she heard from Alfred once or twice, but never from Bruce. Alfred had told her that he wasn't to answer the door when she, let alone anyone, came to it; that Bruce wanted to be alone. Well, she had given him a month to be alone; that was all he was getting. Her brother had told her to leave Bruce alone, that if he wanted to wallow in pity then let him do it, but she couldn't. Everyone needed help once in a while; even the great Batman.

Her hand stopped pounding when Alfred opened the door. He held an exhausted look on his face. "Miss Carmichael, as I told you before, I'm afraid that Master Wayne doesn't wish for visitors at this ti-"

"Don't argue with me, Mr. Alfred." The Detective cut him off. "You and I both know that I won't leave and we both know that he needs this." The elder man stared at her for a moment before pulling away from the door and letting her in. She nodded to him graciously.

"He's in his office, Madam."

"Thank you Mr. Alfred." She nodded before turning to walk down the hall.

~Stupid tight spandex wearing, muscular jerk with a flappy cape and pointed ears bat!~ She hissed to herself. A plan was forming in her head now and it made a grin slide over her face.

…

…

…

**The sound of a crash grabbed Bruce's attention.** He had been sitting at his desk, thinking and drinking. Turning, he paused for a moment. "Alfred?" He called out, worried that the elder man had fallen or something. When a second crash sounded, he knew something was wrong. Jumping to his feet, Bruce moved down the hall until he found himself outside the room that held his costumes; the crashes were coming from inside. Thinking he was being robbed, he got ready to jump into a fight but his hands fell when he hopped in the room and saw what was going on.

"Taylor?"

The woman didn't even spare him a glance, taking the chair in her hands again and smashing another of the glass panels that held another of his costumes behind it. She went to do it to the final panel but Bruce grabbed the chair and ripped it away from her.

"What are you doing!?"

"Now that I have your attention, this!" Instead of hitting the glass panels, her fist collided with the side of the man's face. He had been expecting that either and he stumbled back a few feet. He watched, still lost in a little shock, as the woman shook her hand in the air, giving curses. "What, do you have a metal jaw or something? Sweet mother-"

All shock gone now, Bruce set a firm look to his face. "Taylor, what are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"Through the front door," She answered him. "I'm not the only one who's tired of you moping about up here all day." She then glared at him. "And don't you go yelling at Alfred, either! That sweet old man knows just as well as I do that it's time for you to get back to normal."

"Back to normal?" Bruce growled. "After all this, how can I get back to normal? I never was normal!"

~This is going to be harder than I thought~

"No, I'll give you that. Bruce Wayne never was normal. It's not often that you have a billionaire that wants to travel around a city at night and fight crime, but that's the path you chose, Bruce, and you can't just back out on it now. You can't let what happened effect you this way. You can't lock us all out, dammit! I refuse to let you do that!" She stood there for a moment, taking in the man before her. He looked…miserable. His black hair was all over the place and his blues eyes no longer held that joyful glow that she had seen when she spent time with him. "I know that you must feel terrible. All the people that died from Protocol 10. Strange. Ra's. Talia. Joker. But you have to understand that you cannot save everyone Bruce and feeling back for that will just hold you back. You will run into events like this the longer you continue to be Batman. If you still plan on being the Dark Knight, they have to learn not to blame yourself for everything! You're going to kill yourself!"

"But I…" Bruce shook his head. "They were all…all right there. If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened."

"Even without you, without Batman, these lunatics would be running around. Are you why Killer Croc does what he does? No, he's got child issues and looking the way he does it's understandable." Bruce couldn't help but give a chuckle at that. "Are you why Scarecrow runs around and using that damn serum on others? The Mad Hatter? Penguin would still be a crime Lord, as would Two-Face and Catwoman would still be a thief and Poison Ivy would still be plant-obsessed like the is now. You didn't make them that way, Bruce. You didn't make Joker that crazed lunatic he was and you didn't make Talia interfere with what happened. None of it was your fault. If you want to blame it on anyone…blame it on me."

Bruce looked at her. "Why?"

"I had run into the Joker before you had. I could have put a stop to him right then and there before all of this happened but I chose to run after you instead. If I had stopped him, then Talia would still be alive, Joker would still be alive, and you would have gotten to Strange before Protocol 10 was activated. So, in a way, I'm the one that killed the-"

"No!" Bruce cut her off, pulling her into his arms. "Don't say it. You…you didn't do anything wrong."

"And neither did you, Bruce." She rested her head on his shoulder. "That's what I'm trying to make you see."

He was silent for a moment, thinking everything over. ~Maybe…maybe she's right.~ He told himself. ~But what do I do next? What does Batman do next?~

His arms made her feel protected. The strong grip on her made her feel safe again. Bruce seemed to be able to keep each foul thought away from her mind whenever he held her, hell, whenever he was around her. She was glad that he was there again…

"So…what happens now?" Taylor asked.

He was silent for a moment, glancing at all the glass on the floor. "I have a few thoughts in my mind that we could do in the future."

Taylor, following his gaze to one of his suits, shook her head. "Don't even think about asking me to become you're Batwoman. It ain't happening, B-man."

"And to think, that was exactly what was on my mind," Bruce grinned, dragging a finger down her back, making her give a shiver.

"Well, it's just too bad then, isn't it?" Taylor decided to reply. "After all, you're gonna have to make it up to me, a lot, if you want _that _anytime soon. After all, a woman like me doesn't deserve to be treated like that now, do I?"

Bruce gave a sigh. "No, she doesn't. Now, what does this woman want as a beginning repayment for such treacherous actions?"

Taylor gave a huge grin. "What's wrong? Has the big, bad bat finally hit a mystery that he can't solve?"

The man gave a huge laugh. "I have several ideas on how to solve it, but I don't know what to choose first. Something tells me to go with my gut, though, so-" He came to a stop when his lips crashed to hers. It sent her into a flashback to the event at Arkham Asylum when she had first kissed this man. It felt as right now than it had back then.

"Not completely, but it's a start." Taylor told him, leaning her forehead on his. She was still for a moment before pulling back from his head, a large smile on her face. "So,"

"So," Bruce repeated her, a smile of his own.

She was silent for another moment before her smile grew wider. "You still owe me that ride in your plane, remember?"

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	15. End

**And so the Arkham City comes to a close. Thank you guys for sticking with me and I'm glad you all liked it as much as you did! I'm gonna take a little break from the Video games and try to finish some of my other stories first before I start a new one, but I hope you guys come back for more!**


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